tech ronin

iPhone Name Part 2

Time passes and more has been revealed. Apple is saying they think Cisco's lawsuit is silly. Apparently, it is debateable whether Cisco has a case they can win. It now looks more like Cisco was exploiting the situation. The iPhone suit does not look like a problem.

Why Apple Went Ahead with the iPhone Name

I've been wondering why Apple used the iPhone name even though it might incite a lawsuit from Cisco.

Here's what I think are the six reasons:

1) Steve thought this is a really important product and felt strongly that iPhone was the right name for the product.

2) Cisco tried to bully Apple into making concessions that Steve thought were unreasonable.

3) Steve got pissed off.

4) Steve thought that if he can change the industry with the iPhone. Apple becomes the most powerful player and Cisco will have to come begging to Apple for forgiveness and let the lawsuit go.

5) All Steve has to do is kind of stall for six months to a year while the iPhone and Apple's position in the cell phone market rises to a formidable level.

6) Arrogance perhaps too. But then Steve Jobs deserves to be arrogant if anyone does when it comes to digital technology for the consumer space. He's king in that domain.

Technorati Tags: iPhone

Placed My Order for Apple TV

The Apple TV is set to ship in February for $299. Looks really good. Thought I would beat the crowd. Ordering was a little slow but I accomplished it within 5 minutes. Also ordered the new Airport Extreme Basestation for $179. It runs the new much faster 802.11n protocol. It was suggested as an option and seemed to be worth getting on the list for that too since it is also a February item.

Apple Computer is now just Apple. That's kind of a big announcement for a Mac (computer) Expo.

iPhone Therefore I Am

Apple has gone and done it. Steve Jobs just announced the iPhone. Has a 3.5 inch touch screen. Runs OS X. Is 11.6 mm thin. Has a 2 mpx camera. Totally cool and amazing UI. They are reinventing the phone.

You can see your voice mails and listen to the ones you want with random access.

Uses Safari.

Double tap the New York Times webpage to zoom in. I'm an NYT fan, so this is going to be awesome!

[photo cropped from Engadget's live MacWorld coverage of Steve's Keynote].

Too bad we'll have to wait some more. It ships in June. They are shooting for 10 million units sold in year one. Priced at $499 with a 2 year contract for the 4 gig model and $599 with 2 yrs for the 8 gig model. This is a case where I would for sure get the 8 gig version.

More Evidence of OS X Lite

Now AppleInsider is saying Apple's forthcoming iTV will run a lite version of OS X. Previously we've heard multiple rumors of an iPhone running a lite version of OS X. This could be interesting.

AppleInsider said they expect the iTV to be delayed until late January or early February due to issues they need to resolve with the software.

...the additional time is necessary to fine-tune an embedded version of the Mac OS operating system that will reportedly run on the device...

...software fluidity will be achieved through the core foundations of Mac OS X, which will form the bedrock of iTV by sharing many of the same software assets that have returned the Mac to the forefront of the personal computer industry over the last five years...

I'm used to waiting until early February for things announced at the Expo, so this is pretty normal. I see this rumor of OS X lite strengthening the credibility of the OS X lite on the iPhone rumor. I admit that I'm an easy mark, but this looks awfully good.

Looking at iTV right now, I see it differently. I see it as a computer dedicated to home entertainment that can talk to and be controlled by any Mac running OS X. It's the bridge computer between TV, *stereo* and home computer.

Perhaps the iPhone will make nice with iTV and, of course, your home computer. Interesting might be an understatement.

Black Apple Coming Soon

Let the speculation begin in earnest! We have one more week until the Steve Jobs MacWorld SF keynote. I love it when Apple talks to us.

This is the first of what may be seven images in seven days on the Apple site. I've heard at least one rumor that Leopard was going to get a black theme. I don't think this black is an accident.

The first 30 years were only the beginning.

That's Steve Jobsian in proportion! This means that Apple truly is undertaking a bigger, bolder effort. Beyond computing but also drawing on the firm's strengths in design, miniaturization and computers. This makes me think they are sure of themselves in the digital home entertainment space and in the mobile space. And in the computer space.

Welcome to 2007.

I may be dreaming, but I'm seeing my long hoped for ultraportable notebook, the video iPod, a lot more movies to download, the iPhone(s), iTV and maybe bigger cinema displays and possibly a whole new kind of HDTV this year. Apple is telling us this is going to be a banner year.

With the iPod phenomenon reaching a saturation point sometime in the not too distant future (it would seem), looks to me like Apple thinks they have more and bigger fish to fry. A lot of people seem to think that if anyone can *fix* various personal technologies, it is Apple. Of course, I'm one of them.