A Continuous Client; Nice Idea

Found this on Engadget: http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/26/a-modest-proposal-the-continuous-client/

Interesting idea. Could Apple be working on something similar, possibly utilising their gigantic new data centre?

How many tablets launched at CES this year?

Let me give you a clue; lots (full list: http://www.shawndubravac.com/2011/01/2011ces-tablets/). So, sooner or later, Apple will get some competition and their market share will shrink, but will they care? No, I don't think so - I suspect they're focussed on quality, user experience and margin rather than market share and they've got the volumes to drive down their costs and invest heavily in new processes and technologies.

This gives them a serious advantage and even if we ignore all the other things they have in their favour (like first-mover advantage, the halo effect from other iOS devices and a fantastically strong brand) it's got to make them a firm favourite for tablet supplier of the year 2011, and that's before we see what iPad 2 has to offer. Could be an interesting year.

iPhone Mail App - serious attention to detail

The behaviour of the Mail app, described in the article linked below, borders on the obsessive and helps explain why people like the iPhone. Very neat.

http://theinvisibl.com/2011/01/24/iphonemail/

Annoying iBooks and App Store Feature

This is only a minor niggle but it annoys me whenever I stumble across it. In iTunes on the iPad media are queued for download when you buy them so you can buy three items from the same page without interruption. In iBooks and the App Store, you are dumped out of the store when the purchase is completed and you have to then tap back through the system to buy a second item on the same page.

As I said, only a minor niggle, but Apple are normally very good at eliminating interface and application inconsistencies so this one stands out like a sore thumb. There might even be a damn good reason for it but if there is I can't spot it.