Cognited » Apple

The Beginning of the End in iPhone/iPad Development? Not Likely…

Warren — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 16:53:28 +0000

One of the hottest debates in tech right now is around Apple’s latest ban on unapproved development environments for iPhone/iPad application development. It underscores perhaps the most incendiary ideology that fuels the fire of Apple critics around the web, Apple’s closed ecosystem. Despite the potential and probable existence of anti-Adobe undertones in this policy, this decision impacts other development camps including .NET. It also adds yet another dimension to Apple’s application review process which has been at the center of the debate. Is this the straw the broke the camel’s back and sends developers running to the open environment promoted by Google? Unlikely, and here are three reasons why.

Supply and Demand, Economics 101
I suspect people will continue buying Apple products if they continue to develop high quality products with the user experience in mind. As long as that is happening, developers will continue to develop for the platform. Classic case of supply and demand. Developers aren’t going to ignore the potential of a large consumer base because of some ideological debate(maybe some will according to this Facebook Group).

Apple Continues to Provide The Best User Experience
Say what you will about Apple’s closed environment(God knows this has been talked to death), but the iPhone has created a user experience unparalleled to any other mobile platform to date. Don’t just believe the sales numbers(which should be enough evidence of this) but also check out the customer satisfaction of smartphone owners. Before Apple’s closed ecosystem, the so-called open ecosystem was anything but innovative. Mobile Applications were mediocre at best and the often only purchased by early adopters(like myself) and professionals. They provided utility, but crappy UI’s and a lackluster user experience. The iPhone’s innovative user experience kickstarted the mobile internet into what it is today.

JD Power 2010 Wireless Smartphone Customer Satisfaction Study

Follow the Money Trail
So will developers and investors(you know, the guys that pay the developers) leave this ecoysystem? The answer is “no way in hell.” That would not be smart business. Just ask KPCB(tier 1 VC) if they plan on shutting down their 200 million dollar iFund. For developers and entrepreneurs to simply ignore this opportunity would be leaving money on the table, and while some developers are not driven by money, whoever is paying the bills is.

If Apple loses the battle for the mobile web(in the market it cares about) it won’t be a result of this policy, but instead the success of competing platforms like Android to provide the user with better alternatives.

Can Amazon, Sony, or Google Catch Apple?

Warren — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 03:36:27 +0000

I found one person who has no plans to buy iPad 1.0: James McQuivey, a VP at Forrester Research. He’s less than impressed with Apple’s latest offering and if he buys an iPad in the future it will be in 2011 or beyond (when the second generation comes out). While the “Kindle Killer” chant is growing louder among iPad reviewers, he still has lots of love for Amazon.

Expounding on his blog, he argues that Amazon’s business model is not jeopardized by the iPad because “Amazon is in this for the long term customer relationship. They actually don’t care if you want to buy their device they just care that you want to buy content from them in perpetuity.” Beyond Amazon, he sees Sony and Google as the iPad’s top competitors…

via feedproxy.google.com

First, take a deep breath and repeat after me. “Competition is a good thing.” Apple, Google, Amazon, and Sony all have fanboys. Some more passionate than others. Apple fans are constantly under fire and that only makes them even more fanatic. The main criticism is that Apple produces shiny products with little substance. It is often said by techies “If you are in the know, there are better alternatives to Apple’s closed ecosystem.”

Strangely enough, the tech capital of the US, Silicon Valley is one of Apple’s most successful regions. And while Apple’s products do have sex appeal, they are masters of what I believe to be the most important aspect of consumer hardware and software, usability. This I believe is what the three challengers must figure out to beat the champ and Apple has a huge head start.

Sony – Usability has not typically been Sony’s strength in consumer technology, so I say Nay.
Amazon – When I make a purchase from Amazon, it isn’t because they have a captivating shopping experience. The price is right and I trust the vendors. Amazon is somewhat new to the hardware and software game, but they have some really bright minds. To be continued…
Google – Google is certainly not new to the software game. They’ve had lots of experience with user interfaces, but their products continue to fail at offering a unified experience. To me Google is a bit of a mixed bag. Some products have simple interfaces(gmail), while others seem to be a bit peculiar and awkward (google reader and google docs). Android has come a long way, and like Amazon, Google has access to some of the most talented minds in tech.

If I had to make a decision, I’d put my money on Google being Apple’s biggest competitor in the years to come and for Amazon to continue to excel in its core competencies of internet commerce.

Posted via web from Warren’s posterous

Skitch a free app for screen captures/screenshots

Warren — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 09:37:38 +0000

Applications like Skitch really spoil you. Taking screenshots is an easy task on the Mac. Command + Shift + 4 lets you take a screenshot of a specific area on the screen, while Command + Shift + 3 takes a screenshot of the whole display and pastes the image right on your dekstop. But when you want to share that screenshot with others, or mark it up, you have to start adding other applications to your workflow. Skitch puts an end to that. No longer a well kept secret, Skitch has been covered by many blogs and I suspect will not be in beta much longer. The product feels rather complete, despite the other competitors out there like Layers and littlesnapper. Both of these apps are stacked with more features than Skitch, but Skitch just works. If you want to take a screenshot, make some minor edits, mark it up a bit, and post it to the web all in one swoop, Skitch has you covered. I couldn’t imagine this workflow more economically streamlined. By the way, it’s free.

The Most Profitable iPhone App, EVER

Warren — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 02:46:04 +0000

OK, this is more of a assumption than a fact. If one plotted revenue and development time on an app, the
I’m Rich” app would have the highest profit margin of all. I don’t know how many apps were sold, but at least one is believed to be on a special iPhone. Here’s the “proof”:

Uploaded with plasq‘s Skitch!

I feel for this poor guy, but thats a pretty creative way to make a buck. I’m sure there are plenty of individuals out there looking to make a point with a thousand bucks just laying around. With that said, shame on you developers for trying to take advantage of us Apple Fanboys.

Updated!

According to the LA Times, 8 people purchased the “I am Rich” app. $8,000 for a few minutes of coding? Sounds like a win to me.

iPhone unlocked, so what?

Warren — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 17:43:29 +0000

The Jesus phone strikes again. Don’t get me wrong, I love my iPhone(no really, I do), and I do think there are lots of T-Mobile users out there liquidating their equity portfolios as I type this, but is this a major blow to AT&T? Doubtful. This is more of a bonus for Apple than a blow to AT&T. A huge chunk of phone users out there that want the iPhone bad enough to leave T-Mobile, have already left. Those waiting for their contract to end are clearly not dying for the iPhone, or they would have found one of the many ways to get out of their contract, like playing dead as shown on iPhoneMatters.com:

“Verizon Wireless: Hello, can you give me your full name and the phone number on the account?
Me: Sure. My name is Gregory Ng and my number is ***-***-****
Verizon Wireless: Thank you Mr. Ng, can I have the last 4 digits of your social security number for verification purposes?
Me: XXXX
Verizon Wireless: Thank you. What can I do for you today?
Me: I have a question. If I die, will I still be charged an early termination fee?
Verizon Wireless: No sir.
Me: If I die, will you ask for a death certificate to prove I‚Äôm dead?
Verizon Wireless: Sir, are you planning on pretending to die to get out of the early termination fee?
Me: Thanks for the info. Goodbye.
“

Ok, so we can see that AT&T has already enlisted all of the tMobile customers that didn’t care about the ETF(early termination fee), Nicollo Machiavelli wannabes, and other creative individuals out there using various other techniques to dodge that ETF. Who’s left? The technophiles that read TechCrunch and Engadget salivating over every iPhone article published. AT&T, it’ll be OK.

Apple releases cheaper Apple Cinema Displays, but are they cheap enough?

Warren — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 22:05:20 +0000

First, let me just say that I am quite the Mac fan. Definitely a result from being related to a certain Mac addict cousin and attending Stanford. Nevertheless, I try to keep a level head whenever Cupertino sends out some updates. The cinema display is yet another symbol of Apple’s excellent branding. Despite its high cost relative to its competitors, Apple is able to sell a product arguably inferior to its arch rival the Dell UltraSharp line. In the past, I was able to sell an 18 month old 23″ display while purchasing a replacement Dell 24″ and reap a $100 net profit. How can I sell an old and used product for more than a new and superior product? I suppose, whether the product is superior or not can be disputed. From a technical and performance standpoint the Dell has an edge, but looks do matter these days and that is part of Apple’s appeal. Brand sensitivity acts like a short cut for consumers removing the need to search for the latest and greatest. However, Generation X and Y, ages 45 and down are proving to be more value sensitive than their predecessors, the boomers. Will innovation in design and marketing be enough to continue battling the functional and high performing offerings of Dell and other display manufacturers?