Gruber got it wrong (this time)

I’m a big fan of John Gruber’s blog Daring Fireball, yet I’m confident that he missed a pretty important point this time. Regarding an rumored Microsoft presence at the upcoming iPad 3 event with an equally rumored “Office for iPad” app he wrote:

I’m not saying it’s impossible, but if Microsoft does get a demo slot on stage during the iPad 3 keynote, Microsoft would be getting much more out of it than Apple.

IMO this is viewed too much from a geek perspective. For real world companies an “Office for iPad” would be big deal. The industry outside IT is looking closely into business use of iPads. Microsofts comittment would mean a lot for Apple here, though it would be just a step towards a solid business strategy. The main obstacle still(?) is the limited options to distribute software to specific clients and partners.

HP and Dell just reported sinking numbers for their PC business, change is coming.

iPad 3 Expectations & Tablet Market 2012

A new iPad from Apple is expected in the next months. What does it mean for you?

iPad 2 Expectations

On Wednesday, March 2nd, Apple has invited to a media event where it will announce the iPad 2 – just smack during CeBit. Here’s what I expect, and what I don’t expect:

iPad Battery Replacement Service

This jewel is found in the iPad FAQs:

The device isn’t yet on the market, but Apple already has a battery replacement service in place – for 99$ plus S&H they exchange your unit with one with a fresh battery! Apple is really going after those non computer types, and for a huge market share. They are really changing the rules of the game.

This is as ungeeky as it gets. Great thinking.

iPads & Print

Best piece I’ve read yet on the impact of the iPad on book publishing:
Books in the age of the iPad from Craig Mod:

Print is dying.
Digital is surging.
Everyone is confused.

The whole publishing business is changing, and the kind of reading devices plays a major role in it. As Craig puts it:

IT’S NO WONDER WE LOVE OUR PRINTED BOOKS — we physically cradle them close to our heart. Unlike computer screens, the experience of reading on a Kindle or iPhone (or iPad, one can assume) mimics this familiar maternal embrace.

Early Morning Reading

Again, John Gruber from Daring Fireball get’s it: The Apple-HTC Patent Thing. Well worth reading for both insight into the problem of software patents in general, and the strategic implications of suing your competitors. Last time Apple did this on it’s own initiative was AFAIK suing Microsoft over Windows…. they’d better concentrated on innovation.

After poking them with a stick – or rather an often cited piece of speculative jornalism – Foxonn let out the capacity and early number of iPads in production in Digitimes. 600,000-700,000 iPads in March and one million units in April… looks like my up-to-now estimate of 5 million units was rather conservative compared to Apple’s expectations.