Scott Forstall is the Next Steve Jobs

Have you read the Wall Street Journal piece on Scott Forstall being fired? Maybe not since you're not subscribed to the Journal like me. So I read it on other sites like ABC News: Scott Forstall to Leave Apple.

In 1985, Steve Jobs got kicked out of Apple by John Sculley, then CEO, when Jobs tried to take control of things. And as we know, eventually Jobs came back to Apple and the rest is history.

Seems like to this point, Forstall was one of Jobs favorite and had similar tastes. Forstall was gaining power, and even rumored as the possible next CEO during Jobs last moments. Now, Forstall is being fired, but he's already cashed in his Apple shares so supposedly he has some money. Is he going to re-launch NeXT? And maybe 10 years later, or maybe more like 5 years in the era, is Forstall coming back to save Apple?

My gut feeling:

Scott Forstall is the next Steve Jobs. Tim Cook is the next John Sculley. Jony Ive is, well, Jony Ive.

I guess I missed my timing to sell-off my AAPL stocks. At least for another 5 to 10 years, maybe.

BTW, why did Tim Cook apologize for the Maps app? I think it was so pointless. I would side with Forstall who did not agree to apologize. Maps does suck, but it's no antenna-gate.

The Key to Windows 7's Success

This is my opinion to what may or may not make Windows 7 a successful operating system. Well, actually it's just a common knowledge or result that you'll see in a few month. Anyways…

(Jump to the end if you want to just read the conclusion. I won't be offended. Probably.)

So, why did Windows Vista fail? Well, first of all, what does it mean that Vista failed? Microsoft is the dominating giant; whether it does a great job or not, people will move on and buy the latest product. Go to the store and buy a new PC, the consumer has no choice but to buy what's there. Most people I know have Vista, unless they're a Mac owner. However, when it comes to commercial, which I mean bigger organizations, the IT department has some power and knowledge to choose a certain OS and stick with it for some time. Also, hardware and software vendors/developers also get to decide for themselves with which OS their product will work with.

So, again, why did Windows Vista fail? 1) the users complained out loud, so it seemed like it failed; 2) IT departments didn't buy it, so it did affect sales; 3) a lot of third-party hardware and software did not support Vista and interestingly this made Microsoft look bad rather than the developers.

On the contrary, Apple's Mac OS X series seem to be praised. Aside from the fact that the operating system is in fact slick and intuitive and appeals to the users, it seems to have relative good support from the developers. The recent updates from Tiger to Leopard and on to Snow Leopard were pretty smooth as most software worked just fine, or the developers were quick to solve problems which lead to happy customers. But it's worthy to note that Mac OS X install base is still very small especially in commercial areas which amplifies the outcry of poorly developed operating systems.

Conclusion: what is the key to Microsoft Windows 7's success? Unlike Vista, it needs good support from third-party hardware and software vendors. The primary reason some stuck with Windows XP was because their hardware/software didn't support Vista. If the cost is not a significance and the third-party vendors happily support Windows 7, it will succeed.

Say what, Apple? Not a threat to Microsoft, just yet. Post Windows 7, maybe…

Microsoft's Laptop Hunters Ad Not Impressive

I have to say, the Laptop Hunters series ad from Microsoft is really not impressive. (I have the official video clips down below.) Well, true, in this economy, it must be very appealing to the general crowd and I think Microsoft is being successful in that aspect. But basically, what Microsoft is saying is that Windows computers are simply cheap; that's it, nothing more. For a while, sales will go up, but in the long-term, will the "PC" manufacturers be happy for what Microsoft is doing for them?

Side note, although I'm a fan of Apple products and do some development on its platform, I do depend on Microsoft products and they are equally important. So I'm not trying to say Apple is the best and Microsoft always sucks, but Microsoft is kind of doing that on its own.

Can Microsoft ever have a branding image that ties to keywords like: "innovative", "gorgeous", "easy-to-use", instead of "cheap", "copy-cats" and "frustration"? Oh, BTW, Microsoft itself doesn't tie to "cheap" at all, but their sales channel, "PC", does. No wonder why PC manufacturers are exploring Linux flavored OS and some even installing Mac OS!

The first of the series. Yes, direct comparison with Apple.

Actually a different Lauren. I'm starting to wonder if Microsoft is hinting a new operating system named "Lauren"…

New iPhone OS + iTunes Allow Encrypted Backups

I had a chance to install iPhone OS 3.0 beta that Apple just released today. and turns out you can encrypt your backups. I don't think this was mentioned anywhere, but here it is a screenshot from my Mac:

iTunes take a backup of your iPhone each time you sync with your computer. Some people did not necessarily feel comfortable with this since if you had sensitive data on your iPhone, now it's also on your computer which may easily be stolen; this is especially the case if you use a laptop or just because malware is a common threat nowadays. But no more worries, right?

Got Macworld Expo 2009 Badge?

Steve Jobs is not giving the keynote at Macworld this year and will also be the last year Apple would be participating. Yes, this is official. Less exciting? Well, I'm sure still going:

Badge pick-up started today. Saves time; not a single person in line when I went to Moscone Center today.

No matter who gives the keynote, it really doesn't matter. I'm a "Expo Only" attendee anyways!

BTW, I do hope Macworld continues to live with a nice and cozy community character.

"Why the iPhone will not have a big hit in Japan"

Few reasons why iPhone 3G will not be a hit in Japan:

• Lack of "1seg"
  The digital TV transition is not an issue only in the U.S. but also in Japan. However, in Japan, the transition is near completion and a service called "one-segment" allows digital broadcasts viewable on mobile devices. Did you think AQUOS was all about huge flat-panel TVs? See the AQUOS mobile phone. BTW, SoftBank is the main carrier for this phone which also is for the iPhone.
  
  
• Lack of physical keypad
  Japanese is among the many other language groups forced to use the typical QWERTY keyboard on computers. There are thousands of unique characters compared to the relatively simple 26-alphabet English; although many are stuck with it, QWERTY never makes sense as an input method. Now, many, especially young ones, in Japan are finding that the 10-key pads on the phones are actually easy to use combined with technologies such as T9. It's unbelievable but true.
  
  
• Lack of "Emoji" (A set of emoticons on Japanese mobile phones)
  This is just an assumption, but I don't think the iPhone will include these characters. Although these are just emoticons, for the young Japanese, it is part of their language culture and they use intensely. I mean really intensely. A sample from SoftBank.
  Left-double-quote + Paper Emoji (part of the rock-scissors-paper collection) =  is supposed to look like a waving hand meaning good-bye.
  
  
• Lack of "Osaifu-Keitai"
  Until a few years ago, Japan seemed to be behind in payment system infrastructure. The use of credit cards were just not part of Japanese people's life. But they did make a big leap and went way ahead. With a mobile phone, you can buy a soda from a vending machine as well as use it as a boarding pass for your flight to Tokyo. You think that's crazy? Well, they are!
  
  
• Total lack of "cuteness"
  Japanese females are all about cute stuff. The iPhone just won't appeal to them. It's not cute...

The mobile phone market in Japan is very unique. You won't see Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, models seen in the U.S., but see NEC, Sanyo, Panasonic, Sony, everything only released in Japan. The expectations are different, so obviously the available features are too along with the culture entirely. Apple is targeting consumers first which is smart, but that has been the case in Japan and the iPhone is just not appealing. "It just won't work."

Disclaimer:
I am saying that the iPhone 3G July 11th edition won't be a hit in Japan. It may still have a small sales. Furthermore, this is just my opinion. So don't complain if you don't like it.

"iPhone is going to dominate the mobile phone market."

I have to say, iPhone is going to dominate the mobile phone market.

Apple, today, announced the iPhone SDK which allows developers to create native applications. They also announced that in the next iPhone software release, it would be enterprise compatible by supporting Microsoft Exchange and Cisco IPsec VPN. This will be all built-in to the iPhone software, available by default.

Now, all this with the proven design of the iPhone hardware/software/user interface, what device could possibly beat the iPhone?

Personally, for the general public, enterprise, I think the Exchange support was an unexpected surprise. This probably is going to easily push iPhone share at a sky rocketing degree. I see many asking IT for an iPhone and you can really feel the demand. I also hear IT usually saying no to this, but they have no reason to do that anymore.

Apple Drops Xserve RAID

If you follow the link above, you will see for yourself.

No, this is no interest for the general public, but Apple dropped their Xserve RAID. Instead, they updated their Xsan software and partnered with Promise for the RAID hardware.

(RAID is a technology that brings big storage space and high performance for server use. This news means that we can no longer buy this hardware as an Apple brand, in which Apple was never popular in this field anyways...)

I was wondering how far Apple would go with their server hardware business and I think Apple has made the right choice of depending on a 3rd party. Although, I don't know if Promise was the right one to partner with... BTW, the Promise RAID is nothing compared to Apple's Xserve RAID, designwise for sure...

Good bye, Apple Xserver RAID.

Hello, Promise RAID...

Final Cut Express 4

Apple released Final Cut Express 4. According to Apple's press release, new features are:

• low price of $199
• support for the latest AVCHD cameras
• allows mixing of standard and high definition content on a single timeline
• includes the ability to import iMovie ‘08 projects
• gives users access to hundreds of sophisticated FxPlug cinematic effects and filters

Sounds very nice. Because video cameras are being popular again, it's good to have a full line up; iMovie (part of iLife) for beginners, Final Cut Express for mid-level or pro-sumer and Final Cut for professionals.

Apple also announced a database called "Bento". Is Apple going to include this in iWorks? That would be great, but Apple owns FileMaker which is a database software company, so probably it will stay as their product. Bento actually reminds me of a file format Apple suggested long time ago; back in the System 7 days, I think. It was a concept of a multi-media file format in which a single file can contain various data like text, graphics, sounds, videos, etc. I am not sure where that went though. Anyways, the Bento database is to bring calendars, contacts, etc. on Mac OS X to one interface. You can download a pre-release trial.

Lastly, for all these stuff, I am planning to write reviews. Yes, I am soon going to get a Mac again! So stay tuned!

Hot News From Apple - Leopard and more...

Some hot news from Apple. Things we've all been waiting for...

1. Mac OS X Leopard gets a release date
   October 26, 6pm! Go and get it you Apple freaks! I'm going to try to wait until Apple releases a new MacBook. If I can wait...
2. iTunes Plus is now 99 cents a track
   The DRM-free iTunes Plus track is now 99 cents from previous $1.29. Are people going to complain about this as well?
3. Third party apps on the iPhone (includes iPod Touch)
   Finally Apple is going to release a SDK for third party application development on the iPhone. Steve says it will be available in February. Let's see what the hacking community does by then, and if that is going to impact Apple's release of the SDK. Also, wonder what the security strategy is and when Apple will give out more details...
   

My First Apple Online Store Experience (second iPhone)

So, we finally purchased our second iPhone!

This was actually my first Apple Online Store experience. How was it? Not bad, but not too good either...

First, my wife got the $100 store credit for our first iPhone. That went smooth. Then, we went on to the Apple Online Store and purchased an iPhone along with some accessories; a total of approx. $480. We applied the $100 store credit and paid the rest via credit card. As soon as we finalized the order, the iPhone was on its way; from Shenzen, China via FedEx Air! My goodness, no wonder the iPhone is expensive... But it's amazing how fast things travel around the world nowadays.

While the iPhone was on its way, Apple notified me that the credit card did not approve the payment and that my order would be canceled. At the same time, my credit card company reported that they detected a fraud. Well, it turns out to be something frustrating. Apple wanted to charge things separately. Accessories and the iPhone w/ $100 credit. So it ended up my card being charged $333 for the discounted iPhone and 50 something dollars for the accessories; 2 separate lines. I'm not sure what caused it to detect as fraud, but just because of this, is was such a hassle calling Apple and the credit company and have each of them understand what was going on. I wonder if this had to do with how the $100 store credit was applied...

Anyways, I got my iPhone today, and my case should arrive tomorrow.

Hacked iPhone Will Be Permanently Inoperable (Apple statement)

It seems that Apple made an official statement to the hacking of iPhones.

Read the statement yourself and see how you would take this.

CUPERTINO, Calif., Sept. 24 -- Apple has discovered that many of the unauthorized iPhone unlocking programs available on the Internet cause irreparable damage to the iPhone's software, which will likely result in the modified iPhone becoming permanently inoperable when a future Apple-supplied iPhone software update is installed. Apple plans to release the next iPhone software update, containing many new features including the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store (http://www.itunes.com), later this week. Apple strongly discourages users from installing unauthorized unlocking programs on their iPhones. Users who make unauthorized modifications to the software on their iPhone violate their iPhone software license agreement and void their warranty. The permanent inability to use an iPhone due to installing unlocking software is not covered under the iPhone's warranty.

First of all, I assume "iPhone unlocking" is the SIM/carrier unlocking which is an attempt to use iPhone on networks other than AT&T. Also, it may include "jail breaking" which is an attempt to install or modify iPhone software; although this, I think in most cases will not make the iPhone "permanently" inoperable.

So, what do I think of this statement? I think this is fair due to the exclusive relationship Apple has with AT&T. And of course a manufacturer would not support their product if it was hacked! But I do support the hacking community. What they do is what the people are asking for. And their effort will be noticed and may change things. Even this statement, I would say, is one success of the hacking community being recognized by Apple. For Apple, good or bad, they get the hype; no negative impact.

iPhone Owners: $100 Cash Back is Now Ready

Now, go get your $100 cash back from Apple. Just click on the title above.

Of course, your iPhone needs to be activated with AT&T... What?

Well, I expected this being a requirement. Apple is smart. They are definitely going to take any opportunity to benefit themselves. No, I'm not criticizing Apple. I really think they're smart.

Anyways, as soon as the $100 cash back was announced, I started working with my wife to get our iPhone activated, at least the smartest way we can... We're not done yet, but our plan is to get a couple of free AT&T phones, then activate our iPhone with one of the lines. After we get the $100 store credit from Apple, buy another iPhone for myself and swap it with the second line.

I'm actually going to get a low end no-camera free phone from AT&T. That way, if I need to go to a place where cameras are not allowed or the iPhone might be in danger, I can just swap the SIM card and take my cheap phone.

Now, let's see how this turns out. It's going to happen before November 30. Or else Apple is not going to give us the $100; just FYI...

iPhone Owners: $100 Cash Back from Apple

Apple dropped the 8GB iPhone price from $599 to $399; a $200 drop in just 2 month. I thought this was coming and there wouldn't be much to do about it. But it is true that this is not nice and rather mean and many people would be very upset about. And I guess Steve Jobs got the message after the September 5th special event.

Steve posted an open letter and I cited the part where I thought people would most be interested in.

Therefore, we have decided to offer every iPhone customer who purchased an iPhone from either Apple or AT&T, and who is not receiving a rebate or any other consideration, a $100 store credit towards the purchase of any product at an Apple Retail Store or the Apple Online Store. Details are still being worked out and will be posted on Apple's website next week. Stay tuned.

So, probably most iPhone owners would be happy with this. As for me, I guess I will use this opportunity to buy our second iPhone; now I won't have to borrow my wife's iPhone. Yay!

My Wishlist - Apple Special Event

Apple will be holding a special event tomorrow, September 5, 2007 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. Their website says that the event is a "private corporate event". Whatever...

Anyways, there isn't much I personally want right now. But maybe what would be nice to see:

• complete new line of iPods, all flash memory of course
• major iPhone firmware update
• release date for Mac OS X Leopard
• new Mac Book, switch to the aluminum design (I don't think it will happen, but...)
  

Get an iPhone $100 Cheaper at Apple Online Store

You can now get an iPhone $100 off the retail price. This offer is from Apple at their online store.

Is there a catch? Not really, but it's refurbished. If you understand Apple refurbished products, I guess this is a great deal.

Now, why didn't I think this was coming? And why didn't anyone out there foresee this was coming! I could have waited for this... But this probably is going to make some people consider a second iPhone, huh? Maybe me too?

New iMac receives CNET Editors’ Choice award

Only a day or so? And the new iMac already receives an award from CNET. Wow... I'm not saying "wow" to iMac, I'm talking about CNET's process in giving awards. What if they start to see some issues after a while?

Anyways, CNET has reviewed the product and you can see the details on their website by clicking on the title above. At least it will give you a 3rd party's point of view on the product if you don't have time to go to an Apple store to see it for yourself like me.

That being said, my impression of the new iMac, without seeing the special event video nor seeing the actual product, I'm not sure if I like the design; at least for now. Maybe I need a little more time to get used to it. It really looks like an iPhone and probably Apple is going to go with this design for all the new products. True, the iPods already have been switching to the new metal look so it would look more consistent. But, previous generation's shinny white design just looked more friendly and warmer. It looked like it would fit more nicely to your home interior instead of looking like "this is a computer and nothing else but a computer!" Of course, people who have the more modern metal look kitchen or wants to put it aside with Mac Pro might like the new iMac better.

Anyways, I'm still a PC user although I don't like it so it really doesn't matter. I'll think about getting a Mac after Mac OS X Leopard comes out.

Apple Chooses Design Over Ergonomics (new keyboard)

Along with the new iMac, Apple released keyboards that match the aluminum design. Wired full keyboard at $49 and a wireless keyboard without the 10-key at $79. Click on the title for more details.

Yes, it looks cool. No, it does not look comfortable. Where did that nice curve go? Well, I guess it's not a big deal anymore. People probably got used to the flat keyboard on laptops and cheap keyboards that come along with many desktop computers. Keyboards used to be better in the older days. At least that's what I think...

For comparison, this is what the previous Apple Keyboard looked like.Oh BTW, Apple did NOT release a new mouse that matches the new aluminum keyboard. Maybe the hardware testers were getting cuts from the sharp metal edges and Apple had to postpone the release.

Sorry, I don't mean to be mean. I know Apple is going to do a Steve job. I mean a good job...

"One more thing..."

Yes, I am fake Steve Jobs. Forget about Forbes whoever...

So, one more thing.
Apple has started a program called "iLife '08 Hardware Up-To-Date". You get to "update your hardware" to iLife '08. In other words, if you buy a Mac and it doesn't come with iLife '08, they let you buy it for $9.95.

Don't be confused. There are no upgrade path for people who have purchased the iLife software package. You just have to by the new iLife. Also, this "hardware update" program only applies to people purchasing Macs after August 7th, when iLife '08 was released. So if you happen to by an older model still sold at the stores that doesn't come with iLife '08, you are entitled for this update program.

Got it? Just click on the title and go see it yourself...

"Apple silently updates Mac mini with Core 2 Duo"

I almost missed it. For whatever reason, Apple was quiet about the Mac mini upgrade. Click on the title to view Macworld's article. Or just check out the Mac mini web page.

The price stays put, CPU starts from 1.83GHz Intel Core 2 Duo (upgraded from 1.66GHz Core Duo), 1GB memory, 80GB HDD and of course the Mac mini gets to start a new life as well.