In the past, Apple has made products available for pre-order, most recently the iPhone.  So take it as you will, either the iPad will be available for Pre-Order, it it won't. Either way, are you going to purchase one?

 P.S. We will be updating all of you on our MacWorld trip very soon, with a lot of photos and cool stuff! Stay tuned.

It hasn't been very busy latley, (we figure because Apple isn't here this year) but thats fine for us! Pictures will be up soon, so don't forget to check back later!

Macworld 2010.... The experience.

What every pro-Microsoft folk and multi-operating system user would like to see is the iPad running more than one operating system. Chris Fleck, vice president of Community and Solutions Development at Citrix, in a blog post, noted that Citrix Receiver was capable of running Windows 7 OS on Apple iPad with Citrix's XenDesktop program. We are sure this will leave a lot of Apple fans excited.

Citrix offers services in end-to-end virtualization

networking and software-as-a-service (SaaS) technologies. Fleck, in the blog post, said, "It turns out the 9.7 inch display on the iPad with a 1024x768 screen resolution works great for a full VDI XenDesktop. Windows applications run unmodified and securely in the data center, and even multiple applications at once." Running Windows 7 on the 480x320 pixel resolution bearing iPhone would have been painful.

Enterprises looking to bring iPad to their premises might want to consider this feature. The iPad can be hooked to the iPad Keyboard Dock and Windows 7 on it can be used just like it can be on iMac or MacBook Pro via Boot Camp. Citrix now waits to hear from the enterprise segment, Small Office Home Office and other business professionals if they really wish to see Citrix Receiver for the iPad to run Windows 7 on it.

Cloud computing with iPad could go big and that has already started with the

via www.theiphoneblog.com

operating system itself. Despite being a consumer product, iPad does manage to appeal to enterprises, thanks to software companies 

                     Tech Specs

• Approximately 128 mm (W) x 69 mm (H) x 16.5 mm (D)
• Approximately 158g

CPU

• PSP® CPU (System clock frequency 1 - 333MHz)

Memory

• 64MB main memory

Flash Memory

• 16GB

Display

• 3.8 inch, 16:9 full transparent type
• TFT drive
• 480 x 272 pixel
• Approximately 16,770,000 million colors displayed

Sound

• Built-in stereo speakers

Main Input / Output

• Wi-Fi (802.11b)
• Bluetooth
• USB2.0
• Memory Stick Micro M2
• Microphone

Bluetooth

• Bluetooth 2.0

Main Connectors

• Multi-functional connector
• Headset jack (stereo mini jack)

Key / Switches

• Directional buttons (Up/Down/Right/Left)
• Analog Stick
• Enter keys (Triangle, Circle, Cross, Square)
• START button, SELECT button, PS button
• POWER/HOLD switch, WLAN switch
• Display button, Sound button
• Volume +/- buttons x 1

Power Sources

• Internal rechargeable battery

Supported Profile

• PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) Game
• Video

Access Control

• Region Code
• Parental Control

Wireless Communication

• Infrastructure mode
• Ad hoc mode (connects up to 16 consoles)

Supplied Accessories

• AC adaptor
• USB Cable

Supported Video Codec

• Memory Stick Video Format:
  • MPEG-4 Simple Profile (AAC LC)
  • H.264/MPEG-4 AVC Main Profile (AAC LC)
• MP4 Format:
  • MPEG-4 Simple Profile (AAC LC)
  • H.264/MPEG-4 AVC Main Profile – CABAC only – (AAC LC) / Baseline Profile (AAC LC)
• AVI
  • Motion JPEG (Linear PCM or µ-Lau)

Supported Music Codec

• Memory Stick Audio Format:
  • ATRAC3™
  • ATRAC3plus™
  • MP3
  • MP3 (MPEG-1/2 Audio Layer3)
  • MP4 (MPEG-4 AAC)
  • WAVE (Linear PCM)
  • WMA (Windows Media Audio 9 Standard Only)

Supported Photo Codec

• JPEG
• TIFF
• BMP
• GIF
• PNG

Regardless of the content, it's definitely a huge first step toward a cable box-less future. When Xbox 360 first debuted, Microsoft was very adamant about making the console the center of living room entertainment. Four and a half years later you can rent and buy movies or TV shows, stream Netflix, update and browse Facebook and Twitter, and soon (hopefully), catch an out-of-market baseball game.

Theoretically, a TV network could reach millions of people with an Xbox Live "channel." Microsoft has sold 39 million consoles worldwide, with half of those systems hooked into Xbox Live. With numbers like that, it's no wonder cable companies are looking to game consoles as another outlet.

The service, of course, will cost a premium, though it's not clear if you'll need to be an Xbox Live Gold Member as well. Also, there's always the variable of picture quality, which will solely rely on Internet speed. While it's still very early, this business model could be a sign of things to come. Wouldn't you rather pay for individual channels via something like Xbox Live instead of a lump-sum to the cable company?

Source: http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10437961-1.html

Friday morning, analyst Matt Thornton at AVI Securities made the bold claim that Apple’s fabled Tablet device is now “in full production.” According to CNET’s Brooke Crothers, “a research note stated that Apple “NAND” flash chip requirements may be increasing because of the tablet.”

Reportedly, Thornton’s information comes directly from “a maker of components going into the Apple tablet.” Thornton went on to say:

“It’s been in the supply chain for a while and entered full production this month. A couple of suppliers actually had weaker Decembers than they would have expected because production was pushed back a little bit.”

Once out in the wild, the Apple Tablet is expected to sell upwards of ten million units per year. And while many hundreds of Asian works likely get a glimpse of the device on a daily basis, we in America (and Europe) seemingly know nothing about the tablet — except what we’ve heard in rumors.

Even rumors had noted that the debut of the device would be either on January 26th or 27th. But strangely, we haven’t heard one official word about the event. We’re closing in on T-minus one week until the target date, and Apple has not yet sent invitations to the press.

But if in fact the event is to be held as rumored, we’ll likely be hearing official word in the coming days.



A tablet or slate computer from Apple was basically all anyone wanted to talk about, and it's not even a confirmed product yet. As a result, Lady Gaga might be the only thing that was actually at CES 2010 that could even be described as generating large-scale buzz.

Steve Ballmer shows off a slate PC during his opening keynote at CES 2010.

(Credit: James Martin/CNET)

We can partly blame both Apple and Google for this. Google sucked all the air out of the Las Vegas Convention Center Tuesday, two days before this whole show even got started, thanks to its introduction of the Nexus One phone and accompanying online retail platform for it.

But Apple's specter has once again haunted the show it doesn't even attend. It seems the whole PC and consumer electronics industry is waiting with bated breath to find out if Steve Jobs' infamous tablet/slate PC really will come to fruition. We'll find out on either January 26 or 27--reports are conflicting right now--when Apple is allegedly planning a big announcement to be held in San Francisco.

Speculation regarding such a tablet, which is believed to be a 10- or 11-inch touchscreen device with wireless connectivity and a price tag under $1,000, has been building for more than a year. And perhaps not coincidentally, a flood of news that it might be coming sometime in the early part of this year rushed out in the weeks just prior to this year's CES. It peaked on Monday, two days before the show's start when the Wall Street Journal reported that the tablet, or slate, might begin shipping in March. And you could see its effects the instant the tech world started gathering in the desert for this year's show.

You could see it in Microsoft's keynote, where Steve Ballmer revealed a tablet from Hewlett-Packard. HP's been making tablets for years. Why one of them was suddenly thrust into the spotlight makes more sense when you put it in context: Apple might be doing a tablet, therefore there's going to be a consumer market for it. And everyone seems to want a piece of it.

You could see it at Dell's press conference too. Besides an announcement that their Mini 3i smartphone would be coming to AT&T, Dell's biggest news was that they too "might" do a tablet. Vice President of Marketing Michael Tatelman held up a concept prototype device with a 5-inch touch screen, running Android software, and showed a video rendering of what the device, tentatively called the Mini5, might be able to do someday, should they actually go ahead and manufacture the thing. There may or may not be more where that came from, Tatelman cryptically told the gathering of reporters Thursday morning.

The Dell Mini 5 tablet that it might make someday.

(Credit: Dell)

"You can imagine that there are other form factors and other screen sizes we're working on in our labs," he said. But, he followed it up with, "I can't commit whether we'll ever bring it to market or not."

"Then why show it?" is the natural question. Likely answer: because if Apple does one, they want to be ready to respond with their own model, and of course like any company prototype, they want to show that they're innovative and forward-thinking.

You could see it in reporters' questions for executives. At a discussion with Sony's chairman and CEO Sir Howard Stringer, the third question, after a discussion about 3D TVs, was where an Apple tablet fit in the PC and smartphone ecosystem.

Even in the months leading up to CES, an Apple tablet was top of mind. In September an Archos exec, who was introducing an Android-based tablet of its own, told CNET they'd be glad to be in the same category as Apple because customers will follow: "We'd love Apple to be in this...they will create a market."

This, if you'll recall, isn't the first time Apple's managed to do this. When MacWorld Expo was held during the same week in January as CES 2007, Steve Jobs stood on a stage in San Francisco and introduced the iPhone. People in Vegas talked about little else tech-related that whole week.

This time, however, might be an even bigger feat. This time Apple's managed to turn the attention of the entire tech world away from tech's biggest stage without actually doing or saying anything.

Yes, that is supposedly the new iSlate from Apple. ClearWire is an established company with real services, so why would they include the new tablet if it wasn't real? Is this what the iSlate will look like? Well, I don't think it looks to bad. Looks like we will have to wait until the end of January!

This just in from the folks at BillShrink: An updated comparison of the hardware and service costs of various smartphones.

BillShrink compares the new Nexus One to the iPhone

(Credit: BillShrink)

The main figure is the second line from the bottom. Over two years (the length of a service contract), the unlimited voice and data plan plus the cost of the subsidized phone is $3,799 for an iPhone on AT&T, but only $2,579 for a Nexus One on T-Mobile. That means the Nexus One will cost you $610 less a year. You will want to buy an 8 or 16GB memory card for your Nexus, so let's round it down to $600, shall we?

Also check out the Droid on Verizon. Ouch. Let's hope that when the Nexus One comes to that carrier it's competitive with T-Mobile.

Of course, money's not everything (or if it is, check out the Palm Pre). T-Mobile is not the country's best carrier, and the iPhone has a better integrated music store and way more apps. But the Nexus One plan forces you to ask what you're getting for the extra money the iPhone costs.

The useful BillShrink site has other money-saving ideas, too.

Source: CNet.com (http://news.cnet.com/8301-19882_3-10425619-250.html)