iPad's Impact on Netbook Market, Future of the MacBook Air, $15 USB 2.0 CardBus Adapter, and More
So we can post our three news roundups (Mac News Review, The 'Book
Review, and The iNews Review) earlier, we first do a quick proofread and
link check, leaving out images. We add images later when time permits.
dk
General Apple and Mac desktops is covered in The Mac News Review. iPad, iPod, iPhone, and
Apple TV news is covered in The iOS News
Review. All prices are in US dollars unless otherwise noted.
iPad vs. Notebook
News & Opinion
Apple Updates
Tech Trends
Products & Services
Software
iPad vs. Notebook
44% of Buyers View iPad as a Notebook
Replacement
AppleInsider's Sam Oliver reports that the March 2010 Alphawise
survey of iPad buyers finds that 44%
would purchase Apple's table instead of a notebook - and for 27% the
iPad will even replace a desktop computer. Also, 41% pass over buying
an iPod touch now that they have an iPad.
The study results, disclosed last week by analyst Katy Huberty with
Morgan Stanley, provides insight into potential cannibalization of
other Apple products by iPad sales.
Link:
44% of iPad Buyers View It as a Notebook Replacement
Netbook Sales Shrivel in the Face of iPad
Onslaught
The Register's Cade Metz suggests that the March 2010 Alphawise
survey of iPad buyers, released last week by Morgan Stanley, indicates
that the iPad will shrivel the netbook market, noting that separate
research from Morgan Stanley and NPD shows netbook sales growth
dropping precipitously in January, from 179% the month before to 68% -
and shrinking even more since the iPad launched to an anaemic 5%.
Editor's note: Even an "anaemic" 5% growth rate for the netbook
market shows a growing market, not a shriveling one. The growth rate
has shriveled, but the market is growing, albeit at a much slower rate.
There is a very important distinction between a declining growth rate
and a shrinking market. dk
Link: Netbook
Sales Shrivel in the Face of iPad Onslaught
iPad 'Gobbles Up' Netbook Sales
Fortune's Philip Elmer-DeWitt comments that not only netbooks (and
notebooks), but also iPod touches, eReaders, desktop PCs, and handheld
videogames are all getting cannibalized by the iPad in the early
going.
Citing a report to clients issued by Morgan Stanley's Katy Huberty
last week Thursday, Elmer-DeWitt notes that netbook sales growth peaked
last summer at 641% year-over-year, than fell off a cliff in January
(at which time rumors of the forthcoming iPad were at a rolling boil
before Steve Jobs finally unveiled it on January 27) - and then shrank
again in April after the iPad's launch. Also, an Alphawise survey
conducted in March's found that 44% of US consumers planning to buy an
iPad said it would displace a netbook or notebook computer
purchase.
Link:
iPad Gobbles Up Netbook Sales
The iPad is Killing the Netbook
The Atlantic Monthly's Derek Thompson notes that netbook sales
growth has plunged in the months after the the iPad arrived, and asks
"Why?", suggesting one reason might be that the netbook is a work
machine on which you can procrastinate, while the iPad is a
"procrastination machine" on which you can work, especially if work
mostly involves catching up on email, although the slowdown in netbook
sales earlier this year might have been more due to buyer fatigue,
given that during the Q1 2009, netbook sales grew by almost 900% -
obviously unsustainable.
Link:
Yes, the iPad is Killing the Netbook
The iPad Is Not 'Killing' Netbook Sales
SuperSite Blog's Paul Thurrott has posted a rebuttal to Fortune's
Apple 2.0 blog (above), which recently declared that
the iPad is "killing" the netbook* - an assertion Thurrott dismisses as
"nonsense" and "silliness", pointing out that while netbook sales
growth did slow, netbook unit sales are still on the way up. Thurrott
says the growth slowdown has been more because of
stronger-than-expected sales of larger, full-featured notebooks, based
on IDC data metrics and Microsoft data indicating indicate that laptops
in the $550 to $850 range grew faster than the growth in overall
Windows unit sales to consumers, and with market-researcher NPD data
showing netbook US sales growing 81% in January compared with the same
month in 2009, 73% in February, and 48% in March. Thurrott says IDC is
forecasting that "mininotebook" configurations will sell 45.6 million
units in 2011 and 60.3 million in 2013, challenging anyone to explain
how the iPad will beat that - observing that even the most optimistic
iPad sales predictions don't come close.
Link:
Sorry, but the iPad Is Not 'Killing' Netbook Sales
Netbook Market Still on the Rise
IDG News Service's Agam Shah reports:
"Demand for netbooks is stabilizing and is poised for growth as
consumers start purchasing the devices as primary PCs, Intel CEO Paul
Otellini said on Tuesday.
"Netbooks were initially viewed as a secondary device for consumers,
but are now becoming a primary purchase for some audiences in emerging
markets....
The article also cites research metrics showing Intel's Atom netbook
processor accounted for 20% of Intel's mobile PC processor shipments
during Q1 2010 according to IDC, and iSuppli recently projected netbook
shipments to be 34.5 million units in 2010, up 30% from 2009 - greater
than the year-over-year projected increase total PC shipments which is
expected to increase about 25.5%.
Link: Intel's
Otellini: Netbook Market on the Rise
iPad Encroaching on Netbook Space, but There's
Still a Market
DailyTech's Shane McGlaun reports that there is room for netbook
growth in 2010 according to iSuppli - notwithstanding that the netbook
market may be shrinking due to the iPad. The standard notebook market
is expected to post growth of 21% this year with 160.5 million
notebooks shipped, and one of the biggest growth categories this year
is expected to be CULV
(Consumer Ultra-Low Voltage) notebooks, with 93% growth.
Link:
iPad Encroaching on Notebook, Netbook Space but There's Still a
Netbook/CULV Market
Netbook Summit to Tackle iPad's Impact
Laptop Mag's Mark Spoonauer reports that an upcoming netbook summit
in San Francisco next week will discuss topics such as whether the iPad
and other tablets coming to market will kill off the netbook, what the
true impact of the iPad on mobile computing is, and how it is changing
the expectations of consumers
The summit is to take place from 8:30 to 9:45 a.m. on May 25th. Go
to netbooksummit.com to
sign up and get a free exhibit pass.
Link: iPad Impact:
Netbook Summit to Tackle Apple's Tablet
News & Opinion
What Future for the MacBook Air?
Hardmac's Lionel notes that Apple is now selling three distinct
types of laptop products, really different in their design and
performance, suggesting that this is most likely the reason why the
MacBook Air has not
evolved much recently, and that to expect any important improvements,
Apple will have to wait for new hardware solutions. such as the release
of Intel's Sandy Bridge mobile architecture as a way to get Core "i"
working successfully in the in 13" MacBook Pro and MacBook Air,
suggesting that Intel is probably the main factor behind lack of
evolution for these two products since it has obstructed Nvidia from
developing a competitive chipset for its current mobile platform.
Lionel speculates that this could well be the reason why the
relationship between Apple and Intel is less warm than it was two years
ago.
Link: MacBook Air: What Is its Future?
iPad Rising: MacBook Air Was the Water's Edge
BeatWeek says:
"Remember the MacBook Air? A mere month ago, it was the sveltest
Apple portable on the market and represented the closest thing Apple
was willing to offer in terms of an answer to the netbook."
But what of the MacBook Air, whose hardware specs didn't quite
measure up to that of Apple's full-sized laptop line, although its 13"
display and full-size keyboard made it a real computer and not a
toy-sized stand-in. However, BeartWeek suggests that was the problem:
Had Apple had gone any smaller with the Air, the user experience
would've gone to crap, since there's a line you simply can't cross with
respect to shrinking a keyboard-based device below the point where an
adult-sized human can comfortably use it without annoyance.
With the iPad snagging a million users in its first month, Apple's
decision to avoid the netbook space is looking like an astute call (at
least in hindsight), but it's Apple's abandonment of keyboard- and
mouse-based computing with the iPad that might be the real story
here.
"What next? A twelve inch or thirteen inch iPad to rival or even
replace the entry level MacBook? Just how much of a Pandora's Box has
Apple opened here?"
Link: iPad Rising: MacBook Air Was the Water's Edge
Apple Updates
15" and 17" Mid 2010 MacBook Pro: Which Graphics
Card Is In Use?
A new Apple Knowledge Base article says:
"Learn how to determine which graphics card is in use on the
MacBook Pro
(15-inch, Mid 2010) or MacBook Pro (17-inch, Mid
2010).
- Open System Profiler by choosing About this Mac from the Apple
menu, then clicking More Info.
- Select the Graphics/Displays item in the Hardware section. Two
entries should appear under Video Card: 'Intel HD Graphics' and 'Nvidia
GeForce GT 330M'.
- Click 'Intel HD Graphics'.
- Read the detail view under 'Displays'.
"If the detail says 'Color LCD' and 'Display Connector', you are in
Intel HD Graphics mode.
- If the detail says only 'Display Connector: Status: No Display
Connected ', you are in Nvidia GeForce GT 330M Graphics mode.
- Click 'Nvidia GeForce GT 330M'.
- Read the detail view under 'Displays'.
- If the detail says 'Color LCD' and 'Display Connector', you are in
Nvidia GeForce GT 330M Graphics mode.
"If the detail says only 'Display Connector: Status: No Display
Connected', you are in Intel HD Graphics mode.
"To update the information in the window, refresh the System
Profiler screen by pressing Command-R."
Editor's note: Another option is the free gfxCardStatus app covered below.
Link: MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2010)
and MacBook Pro (17-inch, Mid 2010): How to Determine Which Graphics
Card Is In Use
Tech Trends
Ubuntu Developing New Unity UI, Instant-on
Versions for Netbook
ZDNet's Paula Rooney reports:
"Canonical is making fast progress on a promise to improve the
netbook experience by launching a new user interface dubbed Unity and
plans for light editions of Ubuntu. In a Mark Shuttleworth blog
posted today, the Unity interface and light editions of Ubuntu
under development are aimed at the dual-boot-instant-on netbook
market."
Link: Ubuntu Developing
New Unity UI, Instant-on Versions for Netbook
Products & Services
Use a Virtual Cloud Drive with Your Mac
PR: UK based multi-cloud data access provider SMEStorage
released the second beta of Mac Cloud Drive, which enables up to 10
commercial storage providers to be accessed directly from a virtual
drive in Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard and 10.6 Snow Leopard operating
systems. The drive brings cloud computing directly into the Mac OS with
over 10 popular Cloud Storage vendors supported, including Amazon S3, Google Docs, Microsoft SkyDrive, and RackSpace
Cloud Files.
CEO Ian Osborne states, "We are really pleased to announce the
second beta of our virtual cloud drive for the Mac. This drive enables
users to access their cloud storage files directly from their shell or
Mac Finder"
"The drive brings cloud computing directly into the Mac OS with over
10 popular Cloud Storage vendors supported, including Amazon S3, Google
Docs, Microsoft SkyDrive and RackSpace Cloud Files."
"Having a virtual Cloud Drive on the Mac fits our business strategy
of providing data access entry points that overlay all storage clouds
and include all Operating Systems, as well the best of breed mobile
vendors."
"This enables us very rapidly to add value to Tier 1 providers who
wish to add storage as part of their offerings and also offers the
individual users and business users, that use our Organisation Cloud
offering, to have familiar and easy access points to their data."
"As part of the next release we'll also be adding sync so that user
can have desktop sync directly to their Mac from any storage cloud we
support."
Link: SMEStorage
Link: Mac
Cloud Virtual Drive
OWC Mercury Extreme Pro Solid State Drive with Up
to 480 GB Capacity
PR: Other World Computing (OWC) announced that it has added
four new 'prosumer' desktop/notebook user class Solid State Drives to
its award-winning OWC Mercury Extreme Pro SSD line. Designed and made
in the US from imported parts, the new models offer the largest
capacity of any current OWC SSD - up to 480 GB - along with three key
features not commonly found in affordable consumer class SSDs:
- Up to 285 MB/s sustained data rates with no speed degradation
- 7% over-provisioning to ensure the highest level of data
reliability
- Up to 1/7 less active power use for longer notebook battery
runtime
mercssd.jpg
The OWC Mercury Extreme Pro SSD is available for immediate ordering
in four Macintosh and PC compatible configurations that install easily
in notebooks as well as in desktop/towers with an adapter:
- 60 GB OWC Mercury Extreme Pro SSD, $219.99
- 120 GB OWC Mercury Extreme Pro SSD, $379.99
- 240 GB OWC Mercury Extreme Pro SSD, $699.99
- 480 GB OWC Mercury Extreme Pro SSD, $1,579.99
Dramatically Decreases Boot & App Load Times
The new OWC Mercury Extreme Pro SSD models are an ideal way for
typical Mac or PC desktop and/or notebook computer users to
dramatically increase the performance of their machine. In a
side-by-side comparison test, the OWC Mercury Extreme Pro SSD was
able to boot the OS and load six apps in just over 30 seconds while the
factory standard hard drive took nearly two minutes.
Doesn't Slow Down With Use Like Ordinary SSDs
Ordinary SSDs offer fast read/write performance during first initial
uses, but then experience significant write speed degradation over
repeated usage. Independent
simulation tests by leading Mac performance experts confirm the OWC
Mercury Extreme Pro SSD's ultra-efficient Block Management & Wear
Leveling technologies are able to eliminate virtually any reduction in
data transfer speeds over heavy long term usage of the drive and
without dependency on external TRIM management.
Up To 100x Greater Data Protection
Utilizing SandForce DuraClass technology, the OWC Mercury Extreme
Pro SSD is able to provide up to 100x higher data protection than
provided by ordinary SSDs as well as leading enterprise class hard disk
drives. By combining the highest level of Error Correction Code (ECC)
and SandForce RAISE (Redundant Array of Independent Silicon Elements)
technology, the OWC Mercury Extreme Pro SSD provides RAID like data
protection and reliability without loss of transfer speed due to
parity.
Longer Notebook Battery Runtime
Because the OWC Mercury Extreme Pro SSD uses as little as 1/3 the
power compared to the most power efficient 2.5" hard drives and up to
1/7 less power than other leading brand SSDs without any performance
sacrifice, notebook users can now maximize their "unplugged" mobile use
time while desktop/tower users can enjoy the benefits of a more energy
efficient system.
"The four new OWC Mercury Extreme Pro SSD models give consumers the
most affordable options for adding the pinnacle of internal drive
performance to their Mac or PC," said Larry O'Connor, CEO, Other World
Computing. "With category leading performance and technology features
not found in other brands, these new models are ideal for everyday
users seeking near instantaneous and reliable data access."
LINK: OWC Mercury Extreme Pro
SSD
$15 USB 2.0 CardBus Adapter
PR: Have an older PowerBook like a Pismo or TiBook with a
CardBus expansion slot but no USB 2 support?
USB2CARDBUS.JPG
The AKE CardBus BC168 PCMCIA to Two USB 2.0 Ports Card is a solution
that reportedly works well.
Made in Shenzhen, China
Ships Worldwide
$14.99
Payments via PayPal
Link:
AKE CardBus BC168 PCMCIA to Two USB 2.0 Ports Card
Software
gfxCardStatus Graphics Mode Monitor for
Core i5/i7 MacBook Pros
PR: Cody Krieger's gfxCardStatus is an open-source menu bar
application that keeps track of which graphics card your 2010 MacBook
Pro is using at any given time, and allows you to switch between them
manually.
gpuchanged.jpg
Features:
- Simple, clean "i" and "n" icons that signify Intel HD Graphics, and
Nvidia GeForce GT 330M graphics, respectively
- Automatically updates when the GPU switches, in real time
- Allows you to manually switch GPUs on demand!
Dependent process list - see which applications are currently using
the 330M, if it's the active GPU!
- Growl support - so you know right when the GPU switches
- Tiny footprint - doesn't sit in your menu bar and hog RAM or CPU
cycles
- Automatic application updating - checks for, downloads and installs
new versions of gfxCardStatus automatically
gpuchanged2.png
Note: only for 2010 MacBook Pros with Intel Core i5/i7 processors
and the Nvidia GeForce GT 330M GPU.
Link: gfxCardStatus
