Google’s answer to this problem is that the device doesn’t matter. Its all about the browser. Apples answer is iCloud — it’s all about apps.

[A short recap for those just joining the conversation, iCloud is a thing that enables sharing of data between your devices. You take a picture on your iPhone, and moments later that photo is on your iPad, in iPhoto on your Mac, and even the photos folder on your PC. Apple is initially building this into many apps: iTunes, Photos, App Store, iBooks, Pages, Keynote, Numbers, Backup, Contacts, Calendar, and Mail]

Why is this important?
Today maintaining state between computers, smartphones and tablets relies on a hodge-podge of technologies:

• Mail is kept in sync using special imap server settings on each device.
• Music is sync’d only with a cable connected to iTunes running on just one computer. Same for bookmarks, photos, iBooks.
• Kindle books, probable the closest in style to iCloud, syncs through my Anazon login. Yet that one login on each device gets me precious little beyond the books.
• Calendars use a mashup of CalDAV, Googles services, and Microsoft Exchange. My address book is in a similar situation.
• OmniFocus todo’s are sync’d through a custom WebDAV folder on my edstrom.net server.
• Dropbox, one of my favorite utilities, also comes close. Their big claim to fame is their open API which many applications have adopted instead of building their own sync layer. And there is certainly demand for it: take a look at all the Dropbox apps.
• Games may or may not save state…

In a lot of ways, I think iCloud is the answer to the old buzz catch-phrase: Single Sign-On. Now I can sign into any device -once- and all my apps, my photos, my documents, my music … will all be there. Outside of the browser window.

“Growth like this is hard to get one’s mind around. Not only are downloads increasing, but the rate of increase is increasing.”

His chart where he compares app downloads to music downloads in the iTunes store helps. The iTunes store became the biggest music retailer in less than 5 years after initially opening, displacing Best Buy and Wal-mart. Note the speed of getting to 10 billion downloads:

Personally, I have 223* apps in iTunes, and there are three iOS devices in our house. Doing the math, I get 74 app downloads per device.

* After a one-time attempt to vainly delete the unused ones.

Here’s the situation:

I have a media iMac at home. I have an iPhone and an iPad that sync music, podcasts, books, apps, movies, and photos to this media machine. I don’t sync the contacts, calender or email through iTunes as those go through the cloud.

I recently started using a MacBook at work. I’d like to switch synchronizing the iPhone and iPad to the work machine. I’m not sure entirely why. Some vague reasons that have crossed my mind:

• It’s a nicer and faster computer than my 5-year old iMac.
• I could download new apps or books from iTunes instead of searching within the App Store on iOS.
• New podcasts would download during the day to listen to on my commute home.
• I’m more likely to sync to my work computer than my home machine.
• The old iMac’s USB doesn’t charge the iPad at all unless the screen is off, so I’ve started charging both devices at work.
• I don’t really use the iMac at home other than to store stuff.

The problem, however, is the media. Podcasts will download on their own, so that doesn’t seem to be a problem. And with iTunes Sharing, I can sync the files — or at least a lot of them, but I won’t get the play counts and I don’t have the space for all of the media (the iMac has a pretty full 1/2  TB drive). And it only works at home when I actually have the work computer on with iTunes running. Yet, there does not seem to be a way to sync smart playlists (maybe I just recreate them? but again, the play counts which are vital to many of my smart playlists, are missing). And iPhoto synchronizing from a shared library is manual only. This is a bigger issue, because my wife and I take lots of photos of our kids, and I really appreciate how new photos taken with our SLR or iPhone just magically show up on the iPad after a sync.

So … is this a fictions first-world problem that I invented and needs no solution? Or is it a real problem? How would you solve it?

“AirPlay is important in the evolution of media because the tech infrastructure Apple has been building for more than a decade is finally maturing enough to reach that holy grail of weightlessness.”

The idea that you can easily present a slide show, play a video or movie, play a song, play a video game or whatever … from the device you are holding to the TV on the wall is very intriguing. No need to switch remotes, configure the “source” for the video, or anything else. Just choose “play” and choose “that screen over there”. Weightless indeed.

“Mobile users like apps when all they want is a self-contained experience, like a game. When they want the freedom to chart their own course, they prefer mobile Web experiences.

Omniture measured the preferences and behaviors of 1,200 mobile users in four key consumer categories: products and shopping, financial services, media and entertainment, and travel. In all four categories, users leaned toward experiences mediated through the browser of the mobile Web. [...] The exceptions to the rule: Social media, games, and other mini-experiences, like maps, in which cases they prefered apps.”

“In high school, my friends and I went to the movie theater almost every weekend, usually not even knowing what was playing, and decided how to spend our $5-10 when we got there. We knew it would buy us a few hours of entertainment, and we knew that most of the movies would be mediocre, a few would be horrible, and a few would be great. The predictability and low cost of these outings gave us a reliable way to be entertained on a regular basis.

One of the reasons the iOS App Store is so successful is that app-buying has become a form of casual, routine entertainment for iPhone and iPad owners. We gladly go and browse the App Store even when we don’t “need” anything at the moment, with the intention of going and spending a few bucks on whatever’s new that looks good.”

I’ve certainly noticed this with my own purchasing. I download a free or paid app (on average) every other day.

“Microsoft has never been cool, has never had good taste, but their lack of cool and lack of taste are spiraling out of control.”

… in reference to a Staged Funeral for iPhone and BlackBerry.

“Yes, we know you know that in the space of three short years Apple’s iPhone has humiliated the entire cellphone industry. But we bet you won’t FULLY APPRECIATE just how completely Apple has laid waste to incumbents like RIM, Nokia, and Sony Ericsson until you look at these two charts from Goldman Sachs (via FT).”

Remember: 50% of Apple’s revenue this year came from products that didn’t exist 3 years ago. That is some serious change.

Let me rectify this.

iPad:

• The iPad will not replace a laptop. But it will replace more of your laptop than you think. Pick up the keyboard that goes with it, and it’ll be closer still.
• Not having a traditional desktop with files and folders is an asset to the iPad. It makes it easier to use, and easier to understand. If you don’t believe me, walk around your office and see how many people “file” things into their desktop.
• Reading books with iBooks works fine, and is a pleasure. The highlighting and notes abilities are very nice. I’ve read a few books on it now.
• The screen is not useable outside. I tried it on a cloudy day, and the reflection was too much.
• It is far better for consumption than creation. However there are some creative bits that work well on it (drawing, short emails, etc). As such, I haven’t quite found a good fit for using it at work.
• The iWork apps (I have Pages and Keynote) are great, but are not compatible with last-years desktop version of iWork. This is really disappointing, and worse: the iPad Keynote app reads my ancient PowerPoint files just fine.
• There are some really fun, addictive, and innovative games available for only a dollar or 2 each.
• I didn’t get the 3G version, but will next time The ability to pay for 3G access a month here or there would be perfect for vacations.
• Overall: if you have room in your budget for another device, you’ll love the iPad for surfing, social networking, sharing photos, and playing games.

iPhone 4:

I still have a 3GS, and will likely get the new phone (iPhone 5?) next summer.

First, lets talk about the antenna: From what I understand, the antenna thing might be an issue in certain situations, for some people, but for other people, they get reception where they never previously were able to. If you are concerned, get one of the bumpers – it fixes the death-grip problem. If you are really concerned, wait till January. The rumors are stronger than usual, and suggest that January is when there will be an iPhone on the Verizon network.

Other than that, I hear the screen is amazing and the camera is as good as many dedicated cameras. FaceTime is great, and I’m waiting to hear if this latest incarnation of video conferencing will be one that the public actually adopts.

If you’re concerned about an “open” platform and are thinking of picking up an Android phone, I’d highly suggest reading this, this, this, this, or this.

Overall: Apple is still making the best smart phone, at a competitive price. Other phones are at least a year behind in technical capabilities, and if you look at their usability, I have yet to see a report of a new phone that is better than (or as good as) the original iPhone that was released 3 years ago.

“[They] are using the tablet-style computer for tasks as varied as accessing work e-mail, approving shipping orders, and calling up on-the-spot auto-finance options.”

It takes time to change things, but now that Apple is bigger than Microsoft, one has to wonder how long corporate will continue to cling to the underdog.

“Apple makes $3B of profit from its iPhone while HP takes in a mere $500M on its PCs—that’s a 6x difference. The Center of Money has shifted.”

HP is one of the leaders in computer manufacturing, yet for all their expertise, they have to be pretty surprised how fast the center shifted.

“If the iPhone didn’t exist, I would have the Nexus One in my pocket right now—but then again, if the iPhone didn’t exist, the Nexus One wouldn’t either.”

He talks about how a Nexus One is good for folks that like to tinker, tweak, and modify their devices, but warns that it comes at a significant cost to its usability. If you want something that just works (and you don’t want to hack it “within an inch of its life”) then iPhone is the one for you.

[via Marco]

—

Do you ever wonder whether you’d be better off walking instead of taking the bus? This app will help you answer that question.

Fine tune your personal walking speed and your city’s bus speed for the most accurate Walk or Bus recommendation.

Measure by kilometers, miles, or by configurable city block sizes Receive helpful feedback: “at a brisk pace you will get there 4 minutes faster than the bus”

Ideation: Chris Mueller & Dana Boyd
Graphics: Trevor Brown
Coding: Peter Edstrom
Contact: walkorbus@edstrom.net
Twitter: @walkorbus

No camera? How will we do video chat?

Good entry price point of $499, but I’m irritated that I can’t use my $30/month iPhone internet on this thing. You want me to pay for internet per device? Seriously? Where is the Kindle internet model where it comes with free internet for life?

I can totally see myself sitting down to read a nice long book with the iBooks app. But I’m still skeptical I’ll buy many books this way — $15 for a new book, and no re-sell or lending capability? I don’t mind that with music, but I rarely read books more than once and want to be able to pass the book on when I’m done.

I feel bad for Kindle owners. Given the attention this thing is getting, the screen-looks-like-paper feature was an overrated (but necessary?) step to advance the art of eBooks. Sorry Amazon. Thanks for your efforts. Good luck with your ePaper initiatives – the rest of us will be happy with color alternatives.

The new apps look amazing. Especially the calendar program. And the iWorks apps. Can’t wait to try them out.

Interesting that Apple made their own “Apple A4” chip instead of putting an Intel chip into the device. I wonder what this means for the future of other Apple devices.

Oh yea, and the iPad name is horrible. Please Apple, please. Give up on the iEverything name. The original iMac was what? 1998? This is a tired, dull, and not-what-we-expect-from-a-leading-company-like-yourself name. Canvas would have been so much better. Or Slate. Or just “Apple Tablet”. iPad? iPad?!?

I’m an Apple fanboy to be sure, but what exactly can’t the iPhone do?

“The Nexus One seems like a nice enough phone, but it’s nothing revolutionary (it’s got a trackball, for God’s sake). Everyone is still operating inside the same box that Apple defined three years ago.”

On one hand, I’m glad to see some competition for Apple. But I don’t know that most consumers can see what’s happening: Google is playing the Microsoft game. Copy Apple as closely as possible and as quickly as possible. Android will always be a second-rate smartphone (or super-smartphone).

Google’s Android phone operating system will rearrange the icons, change the colors, and maybe even do a couple unexpected things. But the genius at Apple is already working on the next big thing – not trying to copy their competitors.

With USAA, you can now deposit checks via an iPhone.

Using the built-in camera, just snap a picture of the front and back side of the check, enter the check amount, and click submit. The deposit will clear overnight.

No trips to the bank, no trips to an ATM, and no PayPal fees.

What an amazingly good idea.

“That the iPhone — or specifically its software touchscreen keyboard — does not appeal to everyone is not a problem. Nothing appeals to everyone. Even if you try to make something that appeals to everyone by adding every single clamored-for feature, you wind up with something like Windows that does not appeal to people with a taste for the elegant and refined.”

Well said.

• I like the complete upgrade to their laptop line. The specs on the screens sound impressive.
• Glad that the new OS is only a $29 upgrade, though no single feature is that compelling.
• Safari 4 is awsome. I’ve been using the beta for a while now.
• Looking forward to the iPhone 3.0 free upgrade.
• Absolutely appalled at AT&T for not allowing tethering.
• I could care less about the copy & paste thing, and have yet to understand why people consider this such a “must have” feature.
• Like the idea of a video camera on the go. Impressed that you can do video editing on the new iPhone, and upload straight to youtube. (This will have very interesting side affects that I don’t think we fully appreciate yet.)
• I would quite like the 2-3x performance of the new iPhone too – little things like going to the home screen and popping up the keyboard seem to have a slight lag on my older iphone.
• The digital compass nicely rounds out the GPS capabilities of last year, but I wish the turn-by-turn navigation had been built in.
• The voice control looks nice – especially the “play more songs like this one” bit.
• The lower $99 price is also a good thing for last years model, though I wonder who will be buying that considering the voice+data plan will set you back at least $60 a month anyway (I tend to ignore most of the upfront costs and focus more on the monthly part). Seems like if you are spending $60/month already, a $100 is relatively unimportant – if you can’t afford the new one, you can’t really afford the old one either.

Will I upgrade?

All told, I’ll probably pay for the new OS when it comes out in September, but will hold off on the new iPhone till the one I have becomes unusable.

I’m still on the 1st generation 2g dataplan, and when I upgrade, the 3g dataplan will bump my bill up an extra $10/month. Had the tethering not been blocked by AT&T, it might have been worth it. I love the idea of internet anywhere on my laptop. But for now, I’m looking for ways to reduce, not increase, my internet & phone bills.

“There have really only been two dominant UI metaphors in the short history of desktop computing:

• Keyboard + command line
• Mouse + desktop

A third metaphor, the pen, never really gained much traction. [...]

History then brings us to a fourth metaphor, direct interaction via multitouch, introduced to most people by the iPhone. It’s possibly the biggest new UI approach to hit the mass-market in recent memory.”

He goes on to contemplate the value of the “file system”, a potential direction towards “web apps” and more.  I’ve often wondered where things will go long term. The issue seems to be the ever-efficient keyboard. Despite loving the usability of my iPhone, writing an email is still far more precise and quick on a full sized keyboard.

Where do you think we are going next? More of multitouch? Voice recognition?

[via Daring Fireball]