Retina Display: A Double-edged Sword

After spending a week or so with my new iPad, I'm beginning to notice a disturbing trend. With the exception of my iPhone 4S, ALL the rest of my Mac gear looks fuzzy. I'm writing this post on my 27" iMac. Until purchasing the new iPad, I believed it would be impossible to beat this desktop machine's beautiful display, with its 2560 X 1440 screen res. Poppycock! (Did I just say that? I meant...BULLSHIT!) Don't get me wrong. I've still not seen any desktop monitor that will compare favoribly to my iMac, but the new iPad makes it look second rate. While I was once quite content working in front of this 27" beauty, I now find myself wanting more. To acheive the same level of clarity as my new iPad, this iMac would need to operate at a resolution of 6220 X 3500. That's almost two and a half times (2.43) it's current capability! To be as clear as an iPhone 4 or 4S that multiplier goes up to 3.0 or a screen resolution of 7680 X 4320!
Now there's talk of a new 15" Macbook Pro built thin and light like an Air. If you believe that rumor, you might buy into the other rumor that says it will be equipped with its own retina display. If that's the case, it will have a screen resolution somewhere around 3450 X 2156 (assuming Apple replicates the new iPad's pixel density of 264 pixels per inch). If (and this is a very big if) this turns out to be true, then sign me up. It will make Apple's current best laptop screen (the 17" MBP with its PPI of 133) look like a Commodore 64 by comparison.
This is just one more example of Apple setting the bar for the whole industry. Super high-end screens started in 2010 with the release of the iPhone 4. It's retina display was (and arguably still is) far better than any smartphone on the market. Improving the iPad's display was such an obvious next step that every rumor monger from here to China predicted it. Some even thought it would happen on the iPad 2. Following this logic (I use the term loosely), some model of MacBook has to be next, right? I know, I'm speculating based on nothing. Well, lots of sites do that type of thing for a living. Why should they have all the fun?
Back to Apple as a standard-bearer. The entire PC industry is tripping over itself trying to make portable machines (ultrabooks?) that will match up favorably with the MacBook Air. Some are doing a respectable job of it even though they are hampered by Windows. Now, just when they think they've got a good Air competitor, Apple will release this new rumored portable and leave them all in the dust. Again.
It will be fun to watch. The only problem is, they'll be lapping all of us Mac owners as well, triggering a sudden onslaught of techno-lust that motivates us to run up credit card balances in the Apple store whether we need to or not. I resisted the temptation to get an iPad 2 last year. The step up from my original device just wasn't tall enough to justify the expense. This third generation device with all it's retina display goodness was a no-brainer though. I just wish it didn't make me feel like throwing rocks at all my other Mac displays.

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How to Run iPhoto on an Original iPad (No Jailbreak Required)

iPhoto runs just fine on the original iPad.  I think Apple just wants to keep us motivated to buy new hardware. I've been running iPhoto for a few days now with no bad behavior or crashes. Installing it is simple and doesn't require a jailbreak. I put together a brief how-to here.

The iPad's First REAL Competition

The greatly anticipated Amazon tablet (dubbed the Kindle) is expected to hit the streets before the Christmas buying season begins. M. G. Siegler at TechCrunch says he’s played with the new device and reports the new 7” tablet will be available sometime in October. So what makes the new Kindle different from every other Android tablet and why will it be the first to challenge the iPad?

Content, content and more content.

Unlike every other iPad “competitor”, Amazon has the content infrastructure in place to provide buyers with a true “end-to-end” experience. It’s something the Samsungs and Motorolas of the world don’t have and can’t provide. This complete solution including great hardware, a sound and user-friendly operating system and a convenient, well-stocked content market is what has made the iPad so successful (with over 80% market share). Take away any one of these three ingredients and the iPad would be no more successful than the HP TouchPad. Motorola and Samsung both make great hardware and the latest Android build, while no iOS is arguably good enough, but users wanting movies, music and more apps for their device are forced to navigate through a hodgepodge of content providers with no unified method of getting apps and media purchased and installed. Amazon is the only company that seems to get it. Their MP3 store has been on-line for years now and Amazon Prime customers recently got access to a wealth of movies. Additionally, according to Mr. Siegler, Amazon plans to open their own app store. If there’s one thing Amazon does better than anyone, it’s operate an on-line market. The Android Marketplace won’t even work on the new Kindle’s forked Android version that Amazon is customizing specifically for this device. Word is, it won’t look like any Android version we’ve seen.

So, it looks like Apple is finally going to have some competition in the tablet space. I say GREAT! Competition drives lower prices and innovation and so far, no one has mounted a serious challenge to the iPad. Amazon certainly has the chops to do it.

Apple to Wanna-bees: CHECKMATE!

Well, regarding every hardware advantage I mentioned in my previous post...

The Future is Here

There's been a lot of talk lately about a bevy of tablet devices due to hit the market for this year's Christmas shopping season.  If you believe the rumors, no less than ten devices from several well-known manufactures will join Apple, Dell and Samsung in a bid to capitalize on this nascent market currently dominated by Apple's iPad.  Like the Dell Streak and Samsung Galaxy Tab, most of these new tablets will be Android devices and each manufacturer will add their own customization to attempt to differentiate themselves.  The one company not following this formula is HP.  Having recently bought...

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