An open letter to all Apple blogs...

Dear fellow Apple bloggers,

Only seven days to go and I'm really enjoying the coverage leading up to the Apple special event, scheduled for 27th January. I think it's pretty much a given now, that Apple will release a "tablet" type device. On the days leading up to the event, I have a couple of requests...

Let's try and keep the rumours and speculation to reasonable levels, so that the inevitable reality shock isn't too great on Wednesday. It's going to be a great product but you have to bare in mind that it will be a version 1 release. Compare the iPhone version 1 to the current 3GS, not just in terms of the hardware performance but also the level of functionality provided by the current release of software. It may take the Apple tablet a few releases to shine. We all know whatever is released on Wednesday will disappoint those with over ambitious expectations, so let's try to set expectations realistically.

The only other request is an important one but one I fear will be impossible to implement. Let's say that you do get a real, actual picture of the device, or concrete evidence of what it's capable of...

...do us all a favour and bury it.

Yes. Just don't publish it!

Pretend it doesn't exist.

Most if not all of the previous events have been spoiled by the early leaking of information about unannounced products. Let's leave this one for Steve, so we can be truly surprised on the day and not be sullied by some blurry photo released a couple of days before.

An impossible request I know.

Perhaps I should just close down Twitter and Safari until Wednesday.

"MacTabletNetbookThingy" Musings

Props to Ken Ray of Mac OS Ken for coining the term "MacTabletNetbookThingy" - love it!

There's no point me spending ages creating a carefully crafted blog post about what might (or might not) be included in the fabled device. The only thing we can say is that it exists and will be awesome.

Sorry, that was the fanboy in me getting over excited!

Better men than I have written screeds on what to expect, but one particular blog post has nudged me into some speculation on two specific areas of the device and how it may work. The blog post has just been published by one of the MacRoundtable posse and that's David Sparks over at MacSparky. You can also find links to some other great articles in Davids post.

The two things that struck a chord with me in David's post were:

Microsoft Onenote - I've only used this briefly many moons ago, but it was the secret sauce when using a Tablet PC. One wonders if Apple will take the approach of creating a brand new new single application that has been built from the ground up to take advantage of the new features of the "MacTabletNetbookThingy". Perhaps a new application in iLife or possibly iWork.

The other option is that they make the existing iLIfe and iWork suites fully "MacTabletNetbookThingy" compatible. 

My gut feel is that they will have taken the more difficult yet ultimately more "Apple like" approach and re-written all the applications provided with the "MacTabletNetbookThingy" to be fully compatible.

Second Monitor & Processor - OK, this one's personal! David suggests

"You could also run social networking apps, like Twitter, on the tablet while working on your Mac or even watch a screencast about software on the tablet while operating the software on the Mac."

I get a lot of feedback from people saying they like to follow my ScreenCastsOnline tutorials on screen whilst going through the motions on their Mac. The problem is that unless you have a pretty big display or an existing second monitor, it's pretty distracting to swap between the tutorial and the Mac desktop or App.

Running a ScreenCastsOnline tutorial on the "MacTabletNetbookThingy" would be perfect. To be honest, even though I already do an iPhone/iPod touch version of the show, the screen is just too small to view a screencast. OK it you're travelling and just want a quick peek, but it's very hard to follow and see clearly what's happening on screen.

However, a ScreenCastsOnline tutorial on a 10" screen in HD - wow!

I already produce ScreenCastsOnline shows in both 1280x720 and 960x540 and both should play perfectly on the "MacTabletNetbookThingy". The entire archive of over 230+ shows (OK 99% of them) are already in these resolutions. 

The MacTabletNetbookThingy could be the best thing to happen to ScreenCastsOnline in a while!

Simplicity for the iPhone - O2

Following on from a series of tweets I thought I'd put down what I know here so people have a point of reference (and can also correct me if I'm wrong)

Just discovered my iPhone contract ran out last month although O2 didn't actually tell me or remind me.

I rang them over another botch up where they'd put a Data bolt on to my account as requested for my trip to Blogworld last October. They did say they'd cancel it after a month but didn't. Fairly easy to sort out and a refund is being processed.

However, what to do now my iPhone contract is finished?

Well, it transpires I can move to a new 30 day contract reducing my £35 per month to £20 per month. The contract is called Simplicity for iPhone 20. This includes 600 minutes of calls and 1200 text messages plus unlimited data. The operator didn't mention any change to Visual Voicemail or wifi roaming. 

There is a standard Simplicity 20 plan for other phones but this one is specifically for existing iPhone customers coming off the iPhone plan. The standard simplicity 20 plan does not include data.

If you have any further info or links, feel free to drop in the comments.

The £20 per month is still more than I use but it's better for me. I should really be an iPod touch user for the limited amount of time I actually use the phone part of the iPhone but it's just so handy when I do need it!

Bring on the next iPhone, I'm out of contract and ready ;-) 

Update on Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at 12:06PM by Don McAllister

Following on further tweets saying Visual Voicemail and Wifi roaming are not included, I took the radical step of ring OS again. The lady assures me that the services on Simplicity for iPhone remain exactly the same and do include Visual Voicemail and data roaming. This seems sensible to me? Why would they remove core functionality from the phone. The reduced price is purely to offset the absence of the subsidised component of the hardware which is completed once the original contract is completed.

YT014 - Withings Wifi Body Scale

If you really want to, your can follow me on Twitter at Dons_scale - just a bit of fun!

As I was about to tell you before I was rudely interupted by the doorbell (!), I'm experimenting with affiliate links from Amazon. If you decide to take the plunge and order via these links, ScreenCastsOnline will get a small commission. So here you go:

Withings Wifi Body Scale - UK Amazon Affiliate Link

Withings WiFi Body Scale - US Amazon Affiliate Link

The Apple Slingshot Effect...

What is the "Apple slingshot effect" I hear you ask?

Well this is how Apple give their stock price a double boost in a matter of days - a double whammy, in effect.

This is how it works...

First, you have to have a stellar quarter in sales. This usually is not a problem for Apple as each quarter just seems to be getting better and better. If speculation is anything to go by, the past quarter including Christmas has been another record quarter for Apple. So, once you have the stellar figures, you schedule a quarterly earnings call. In reality, the earnings call has to go ahead regardless of the results - as a publicly traded company, Apple are obliged to do this.

The trick is in the timing.

So the next quarterly earnings call has been scheduled for January 25th 2010. With a presumed record quarter, the stock price should go up!

Whammy number one.

It's also speculated (and still not confirmed) that Apple are preparing a major product announcement for January 27th, just two days after the earnings call. If Apple deliver the goods, the already inflated stock price resulting from the earnings call, will be slingshotted on the basis of future products.

Whammy number two.

A double whammy!

Of course, this assumes that they have had a good quarter but also that they announce something earth shattering on the 27th.

The Mac community is collectively holding it's breath in anticipation that the fabled new Apple tablet will be announced at the special event.

I think it will be just that for one main reason...

Apple have still not made a correction to peoples expectation.

They know that rumours are running at fever pitch and to not deliver the device would be detrimental. They could easily have extinguished (or at least dampened) the rumours by placing a few strategic calls to certain luminaries. But no, they are letting the rumours have free reign!

Along with the Wall Street Journal making "informed" comments and the highly suspicious taking down of the Fingerworks site just a few days ago, all the signs lead me to believe that that Tablet will be announced at a special event on the 27th.

Mind you, they have yet to even confirm the special event!

Things are going to get very silly over the next few weeks...