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iPad Study: The More You Know, The Less You Want One

Posted by Rich Furgos Monday, February 8, 2010 0 comments

David Coursey David Coursey – Sat Feb 6, 4:48 pm ET

The more people know about the iPad, the less they want to buy one, according to a study released Friday. But, are we expecting too much?

The study seems to confirm the iPad as Apple's least exciting announcement in years. And the company is feeling the backlash that comes from not delivering on the hype.

Retrevo, an online marketplace for consumer electronics, surveyed 1,000 of its customers and found that the iPad's Jan. 27 announcement did more to snuff out customer interest than to spark it.

That's not surprising when all Apple introduced was just a supersized (and superexpensive at the high end) iPod touch. My friend and fellow pundit Larry Magid described as the iPad as "underwhelming."

I agree, the iPad is underwhelming, especially as a business device. And the more people heard about the iPad, the less they wanted one, according to Retrevo.

"The word definitely got out as the number of respondents saying they had heard about the tablet rose from 37% shortly before the announcement to over 80% after the media frenzy on January 27th," Retrevo said Friday in a blog post.

"Unfortunately for Apple, the number if respondents saying they had heard about the tablet but were not interested in buying one, doubled from 25% before the announcement to over 50% following the announcement."

Of course, that 50 percent who are interested is plenty to make the product a success, provided many of them actually become buyers. (Learn more about the study in this story by Greg Keizer).

I think we may be being a bit hard on the iPad. I still don't think it will become a big enterprise computing tool, even if it does "run" Windows 7 (as a virtualized desktop). I also don't think traditional mobile line-of-business applications--think your UPS driver--will start carrying iPads.

But, entertainment, gaming, and e-reading, especially in education, could still make the iPad quite a winner.

Apple already has the ecosystem in place--developers, content, shopping--to make the platform immediately useful when it arrives.

The iPad appears to be an excellent e-reader, though I said that about the Nook before it shipped, too. In this case, however, enough pre-production iPads have been around that I feel pretty confident.

I still don't feel the need for an iPad, but I do expect to invest in an e-reader soon and am glad I didn't get a Nook for Christmas.

Now, I want to wait a bit and see how the devices, content pricing, and content availability shake-out. At some future moment, the combination of e-reader features/content and interesting apps (not available on my iPhone) could convince me.

So, while I don't see an iPad in my immediate future, I am closer to buying one--or perhaps a competitor--than I was before the announcement. I still wouldn't say I want an iPad. But, I see how I might be convinced in the future.

David Coursey has been writing about technology products and companies for more than 25 years. He tweets as @techinciter and may be contacted via his Web site.

Source: news.yahoo.com

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Student-generated iPhone application faces legal trouble

Posted by Rich Furgos 1 comments

By Audrey White

Daily Texan Staff
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Published: Saturday, February 6, 2010

Updated: Saturday, February 6, 2010

Two conflicting iPhone applications designed to serve UT students and alumni spurred a legal dispute that may lead to the removal of one of the “apps” from the Apple Store.

Computer science junior Michael Miller developed the iTexas app over the course of 2009 and sold it to Mutual Mobile, an Austin company founded by two UT alumni. Mutual Mobile released iTexas on Jan. 5 — the same day UT launched the official University of Texas at Austin app. Wendy Larson, an attorney at Pirkey Barber LLP, filed a complaint with Apple on behalf of the University on Feb. 1 requesting Miller rename iTexas. Larson refused to comment to The Daily Texan.

The inclusion of “Texas” in iTexas violates University trademark rights, which guarantee UT ownership of the brand “Texas” when used in reference to the University.

Craig Westemeier, UT assistant athletics director for trademarks and licensing, said that the name could cause confusion among consumers who think the University produced the iTexas application.

“The app could communicate incorrect information or provide recommendations that do not fall within what the University would [offer],” Westemeier said.

Tarun Nimmagadda, Mutual Mobile’s co-founder, said around 2,000 people have downloaded the iTexas app. About 50,000 people have downloaded the official UT app, said John McCall, the associate vice president of the University Development Office. The applications have very distinct features.

The official UT application is focused on alumni and guest needs, providing resources such as sports news, a guide to campus landmarks and access to President William Powers Jr.’s blog, Tower Talk. Nimmagadda said the iTexas app is more focused on day-to-day student needs such as campus maps, schedules, grade access and meals that the dining halls are serving. Both provide access to the UT directory.

“The iTexas app was built by students for students, and it allows students to access features relevant to their UT activities,” Nimmagadda said.

The University first began looking at applications as a source of trademark violations two months ago and has since investigated five to 10 applications, Westemeier said. He said that the production of such applications has the same function as selling non-licensed T-shirts with the UT brand: decreasing the value of University trademarks.

Another application Miller developed, UT Directory, was removed from the application store at the end of November after a trademark debate regarding the application’s burnt-orange color scheme. Miller said he hopes the legal questions surrounding the iTexas application can be resolved without removing it from the store.

“I started this project because, as a student, I wanted an app that could do things like show my grades,” Miller said. “I think it’s an excellent app, and taking it down would make a worse experience for students.”

Miller’s iTexas app will most likely be temporarily removed from the Apple Store on Saturday, Nimmagadda said. He said nobody from the UT legal department contacted Mutual Mobile directly and that the company does not have the resources to fight a legal battle if the University chooses to prosecute.

“If they had told us to change the name, we would have been open to that,” he said. “They did not contact us. They just got in touch with Apple directly. But they know who we are. We are all UT people, and they have talked to us at different times throughout these processes.”

Westemeier said that it is standard procedure to file complaints directly with Apple because they have an efficient process for responding to and working with both parties, which has worked well in the past. He also said no members of Mutual Mobile had contacted the University’s legal or trademarking departments about the complaint.

Nimagadda said that as they investigate the application further, other issues may arise that force the trademarking and legal departments to fight the application’s return to the store.

“We’ve got to look at the bigger picture as far as what they’re doing, the information they’re using and confusion of the brand,” Westemeier said.

Jack Koenig, a Plan II and electrical engineering freshman, has downloaded both applications for free from the Apple Store. He said he finds them both extremely useful and hopes students will continue to have access to the services both applications offer.

“The University has a valid complaint, but the iTexas app has really cool stuff that the UT app doesn’t,” Koenig said.

Source: dailytexanonline.com

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Apple's iPad: New Device, Old Restrictions

Posted by Rich Furgos Monday, February 1, 2010 0 comments

Warning: I am about to say some critical things about a device that, according to its creator, is both magical and revolutionary. If you're the kind of person who thinks that Apple can do no wrong and that anyone who says otherwise is loco, proceed with caution.

Apple iPad Still with me? Good. Like most tech enthusiasts, I've been devoting a decent amount of thought to Apple's newly announced iPad over the past 24 hours. Maybe you've heard of it; from what I've read, it's already changed the world and broken the Internets -- no small feat for a product that's not even on sale yet.

The Web's fairly divided when it comes to opinions on the long-fabled Apple iPad. Analyses aside, I think it's pretty safe to say there'll be no shortage of folks lining up to buy the thing the night before its debut; I certainly wouldn't question its potential for appeal among the legions of Apple fanatics. For people not firmly in the Apple camp, however, I would question the value of the iPad over upcoming alternatives, given what we know so far.

Apple's iPad: A Question of Culture

Apple iPad Analysis Here's the thing: People who love Apple tend to be OK with certain things. They tend to be OK with the fact that their mobile devices don't allow for multitasking or Flash support; they tend to be OK with the fact that they can install only applications approved by Apple. The lack of a removable battery isn't necessarily seen as a significant issue. And that's fine -- hey, to each his own.

As an Android user, though, I value the freedom to use my device as I wish. I like knowing that I can install something like Google Voice or an NES emulator without my manufacturer's blessing; I like knowing that, if I so choose, I can install some random app a friend is developing without having to jailbreak my phone and void my warranty. I like being able to fully customize my phone -- and yes, I like being able to run programs like Pandora and Fring in the background while I use other features of the device.

In my eyes, the drawbacks of Apple's iPad are the drawbacks of Apple's overall philosophies. The company is all about closed-platformed, tightly controlled user experiences. Those principles can be very restricting on a smartphone. On a tablet PC, I suspect they would be even more blatantly confining for people not wholeheartedly committed to the Apple culture.

Apple's iPad and Tablet Competition

A slew of new tablets is on the way in 2010, including several running the Android operating system. (Does the design of this 10-inch MSI tablet shown at CES look familiar?) Compared to the iPad, these systems will allow you to run multiple applications at the same time, interact with Flash-driven Web sites, and install any program you want. Even if your primary goal with the tablet is to surf the Web and watch videos, don't you want to be able to use the apps of your choice to perform those tasks?

(Yes, Apple's App Store has many wonderful offerings -- but we all know there are also many things it doesn't and probably won't ever allow.)

Apple Apple has a powerful brand, a brilliant knack for marketing, and a wildly devoted base of fans. And all of those factors will undoubtedly help maximize the iPad's reach. But I have to wonder -- outside of the hard-core Apple disciples -- if most casual consumers would be better served with a device that gives them the power to make their own choices.

To me, the shame of it is that Apple could probably build a near-flawless piece of technology; we all know the bright minds at Cupertino have more than enough inspiration and ability. But the company insists on maintaining such a tight grip on its users' experiences that people are forced to make significant sacrifices in order to reap the benefits the products provide.

JR Raphael is a PCWorld contributing editor and the co-founder of eSarcasm. He has his own theories as to how the iPad will change the world.

Source: pcworld.com

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