Apple iPad 2 online sales will start in wee hours

If you're in the market to buy an iPad 2 online tomorrow, you're going to have to wake up a bit early.

Apple this morning announced that online sales of the iPad 2 will begin at 1 a.m. PT/4 a.m. ET, many hours ahead of when the new tablet goes on sale at the company's retail stores.

The company had previously told customers that online sales would begin the same day as the iPad 2's retail release, but had not provided the start time.

Retail availability of the iPad 2 remains unchanged, with Apple beginning sales at 5 p.m. local time at its 236 retail stores as well as at partner retailers like Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Target, and carrier stores for Verizon Wireless and AT&T, the company said in its release.

Along with the start time, Apple also announced early arrivals of the GarageBand and iMovie iPad apps that the company demonstrated during the iPad 2's unveiling last week. Available today, these apps had originally been slated to be released tomorrow to coincide with the new iPad hardware, which in iMovie's case is required to be able to run the video-editing software.

The last Apple product to get an early online sale was the Verizon iPhone, which became available for preordering at 3 a.m. ET from Verizon's online stores, selling out just a few hours later.

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Report: No Microsoft Tablet OS Until 2012, Windows 8

Microsoft won't have a dedicated operating system for the tablet market until the release of Windows 8 sometime next year, according to a report on Friday.
Bloomberg reported that Microsoft won't have a true offering for the tablet until late next year, after the third version of Apple's iPad is expected to come to market and other Android tablets debut, sources told the wire service.
The report is not altogether surprising; in January Microsoft announced that Windows 8 would also be ported to ARM, the processor architecture that powers the majority of phones and tablets today, including the A-series chips from Apple. Microsoft has also used Windows XP (including a Tablet PC edition) and Windows 7 as tablet OSes, although they have also been used on desktop and mobile PCs.
Microsoft representatives declined to comment.
The report comes as market research Gartner lowered its forecast for PCs in 2011 and 2012 on Thursday, a revised projection based on what the firm called a "lack of enthusiasm" for mobile PCs.
Worldwide PC shipments are now forecast to reach 387.8 million units in 2011, a 10.5 percent increase from 2010, according to Gartner's preliminary forecast released Thursday. This is down from Gartner's previous projection of 15.9 percent growth this year. Gartner expects worldwide PC shipments to total 440.6 million units in 2012, a 13.6 percent jump where Gartner previously expected a 14.8 percent increase.
Gartner identified tablets as the primary reason for its lower forecast, but also said that other mobile devices, such as phones, are now stepping in and replacing the functionality traditionally enjoyed by the tablet PC.
"We expect growing consumer enthusiasm for mobile PC alternatives, such as the iPad and other media tablets, to dramatically slow home mobile PC sales, especially in mature markets," said George Shiffler, research director at Gartner, in a statement. "We once thought that mobile PC growth would continue to be sustained by consumers buying second and third mobile PCs as personal devices. However, we now believe that consumers are not only likely to forgo additional mobile PC buys but are also likely to extend the lifetimes of the mobile PCs they retain as they adopt media tablets and other mobile PC alternatives as their primary mobile device. Overall, we now expect home mobile PCs to average less than 10 percent annual growth in mature markets from 2011 through 2015."

Microsoft is generally tight-lipped about its operating system releases.
But in an Oct. 22 blog post from Microsoft Netherlands, the writer noted: "Furthermore, Microsoft is on course for the next version of Windows. But it will take about two years before 'Windows 8' is on the market."
Apparently, the lines were written as an afterthought to a commemorative entry about Windows 7's first anniversary, but was picked up, translated, and posted by winrumors.com. CNet also posted a screen grab from the blog.
This would mean at least three years between versions since Microsoft launched Windows 7 in October 2009, roughly two and a half years after its predecessor, Vista.
The blog post was later edited to remove all references to Windows 8.
Source: pcmag

How to Buy a Tablet

As more tablets come to market, be prepared to be wowed by the power that some of these slates are capable of. But also be prepared to be disappointed: The tablets already on the market, or coming soon, have a slew of gotchas--especially the lower-cost models you may see advertised at rock-bottom prices.

Given the sheer number of tablets expected to ship in the coming months--including anticipated models like the Apple iPad 2, the HP TouchPad, the Motorola Xoom, the RIM PlayBook, and the T-Mobile LG G-Slate--we suggest looking around, doing your homework, and being patient instead of leaping headfirst.

But if you can't wait and simply must take the plunge now, keep in mind the following three key points (plus a fourth on a slightly alternative way to go) before you buy.

1. You Get What You Pay For

The Motorola Xoom.The rock-bottom-priced tablets you see advertised around the Web carry those low prices for a reason. Typically, they lack the processing power, memory, display quality, or responsiveness (or some combination thereof) to provide a satisfying experience. Not that tablets should be all about specs, but right now, if you're going to buy, do pay close attention to them. Single-core models, or ones with CPUs less than 1GHz, are going to be slow. Also watch out for resistive touchscreens, which generally lag in responsiveness, and for low-resolution displays.

The one bonus: None of these inexpensive models require a service contract with a carrier, so you'll have the option to ditch your first tablet with less pain than if you had signed a contract.

2. Service Contracts Risk Your Ability to Upgrade

While it's possible to get a tablet via a service carrier without a contract, you'll pay more for that privilege. The unfortunate reality is that many tablets--especially those that have 3G connectivity--are tied to contract obligations with mobile broadband service carriers. That means that if you buy a tablet today with a carrier contract, you're not going to be eligible for an upgrade anytime soon. Never mind the two-year wait for a contract to expire; in the tablet universe, the technology is evolving so rapidly that the market will shift again in six months, let alone a year or two years.

Nvidia only just got dual-core Tegra 2 products out the door, and already the company has announced its road map for quad-core chips. So before signing up, get a sense that the unit you're buying is the one you want, and not just a stopgap until the next great thing (though something is always around the corner). The amount you save up front may not offset what you'll pay down the road--and the freedom to change devices may be something it's not worth putting a price on.

3. For Android Tablets, Look for Google Services

Let me preface this by saying that a number of alternate app stores are around, including market leader GetJar. But the bottom line is, they're not the official Google Android Market. Having Android Market on the device--along with other services like maps and e-mail--just makes the experience of using the tablet more fluid, and stronger on the whole. The "Google Experience" enables a certain consistency and expectation of what you're going to get, so if you're bothering to plop down the bucks for a tablet now, consider that the more complete and well-rounded your experience, the more likely it is that you'll love your tablet. Think of what has made Apple's iPad experience so strong (beyond the easy interface)--it's the simplicity of accessing a deep array of apps.

4. Consider Snapping Up a First-Gen iPad

The first-gen iPad.Yes, you read that correctly. If your wallet couldn't handle the original iPad's prices, iPad 2 will remain out of your reach. But Apple is clearing out its stock of the first-generation iPad--and if that version's weight and lack of dual cameras or dual-core CPU aren't dealbreakers for your needs, a first-generation iPad is the most cost-effective way to get a good tablet today. Check out the deals for used iPads, too: Over on eBay, I've seen 16GB Wi-Fi models selling for as little as $350.

 Source

Apple iPad 2: why tablets are the future of computing

By Shane Richmond, Head of Technology (Editorial)
Apple didn’t invent the tablet computer, such devices have been commercially available since the 1980s, but they didn’t invent the MP3 player or the mobile phone either. Instead, they did what they always do: refine the product for their market, make the design as slick and simple as possible and the market it brilliantly. Without the iPad, it’s unthinkable that so many tablets would be appearing in shops today.

Announcing the iPad 2 last night, Steve Jobs talked about it as a "post-PC" device. It's clear Apple considers theses devices to be the future and it's a theme that Jobs has spoken about before. At a conference in June last year, Jobs said: "I’m trying to think of a good analogy. When we were an agrarian nation, all cars were trucks. But as people moved more towards urban centers, people started to get into cars. I think PCs are going to be like trucks. Less people will need them.

"And this transformation is going to make some people uneasy… because the PC has taken us a long way. They were amazing. But it changes. Vested interests are going to change. And, I think we’ve embarked on that change. Is it the iPad? Who knows? Will it be next year or five years? … We like to talk about the post-PC era, but when it really starts to happen, it’s uncomfortable."

Far from being a ‘big iPod touch’, tablet devices are changing the way many people use computers and changing the perception of computers for others. Earlier this week, JP Rangaswami, chief scientist at cloud computing firm Salesforce, told me that he realised the extent of the tablet revolution when he heard about how archaeologists were using them. With fewer holes for dust to get in, no keyboard with moving parts and no need for power or cabling, tablets were perfect for archaeologists in the field. Add in the battery life of an iPad and the fact that it’s easy to use at the strangest of angles - something that’s tricky even with a netbook - and you have an ideal device.

Apple made a similar point in their iPad 2 announcement, showing a video of the original iPad being used in schools and in doctor's surgeries. The message is that this takes computers into an environment where they weren't previously comfortable. Your GP probably has an enormous old PC on his desk but has he ever used it to explain something to you?

Source: telegraph

Wave of Tablets Cannibalizing PCs, Report Finds

Driven by steep adoption rates and a proliferation of new devices, tablets will evolve into a $35 billion market by 2012, posting 171.8 percent year-over-year growth, an analysis from J.P. Morgan found Monday.

In 2010, tablet-related cannibalization of PCs was about 18.9 percent -- and in the next years that measure will nearly double, the report said.

"We expect tablets to have an increasingly negative impact on PC shipments," analyst Mark Moskowitz wrote. "We are modeling more than 35 percent of tablets sold in 2012 to cannibalize PCs. More specifically, we expect that tablets will have the largest impact on the netbook market, which had represented about 20 percent of the notebook PC market prior to the tablet's arrival."

The forecast was disappointing news for PC makers without a strong tablet offering, and great news for the company with the strongest tablet offering of them all: Apple.

Moskowitz wrote that he expects the iPad to sustain the company's competitive advantage in the tablet market for at least the next few years. In 2011, for example, he forecast Apple shipping 29.1million tablets -- about 60.8 percent of the tablet market.

The following year, however, that percentage will decline to 44.6 percent as competitors dive into the market.

Source: FoxNews.com

Rumor: iPad 2 to lack SD slot, high-res display

February 25, 2011 6:51 AM PST
by Don Reisinger

Apple's iPad 2 won't have two key features that some folks have been hoping for, a new report claims.
Citing unnamed sources, Engadget reported late yesterday that the iPad 2 won't launch with a high-resolution display or with an SD card slot. Apple initially planned on delivering those two features in the updated tablet, Engadget said, but apparently "engineering issues" caused the company to modify its plans at the last minute.
Earlier reports suggested that the iPad 2 could feature the Retina Display, Apple's high-resolution screen found in the iPhone 4.
As with any Apple-related rumor, it's important to take Engadget's claims with a grain of salt. Apple is one of the more secretive companies in the tech industry, and rumors surrounding its products run rampant for months prior to a big announcement.
In fact, Engadget's report follows several others claiming the tablet will come with a more-powerful processor and a thinner body. Yet other rumors claim the device will feature both front- and rear-facing cameras and won't be available until June.
For its part, Apple isn't talking. The company did not immediately respond to CNET's request for comment. But we should find out everything we want to know about the iPad 2 at an Apple event on Wednesday.
CNET will be there, live-blogging every second.

Source: c.net