The Tech Bench

Apple has announced that the iPad will arrive April 3rd. Like a lot of Apple fans, I’ll be placing my order on March 12th, the first day for pre-orders.

A lot of friends, family and customers have asked what we think of the new iPad. Will it be a niche product or change the personal computing landscape? A lot of compaines are betting one way or another and there’s been no shortage of opinions for and agains the iPad.

I think it will come down to this. How often will people that have multiple Macs use the iPad?

Which ones will get used the most?

I use a MacBook Pro as my primary computer, have an Apple TV at home, and carry an iPhone. Each of these devices has their place in my day and don’t overlap too much. The iPad aims to combine the strengths of these devices, but will it be a jack of all trades and a master of none?

If I find myself using the iPad at home to surf the web, consume media and connect with email and other social networks instead of using my laptop, then the iPad may be a winner. If I only find myself using the iPad on trips or as a spare, the iPad may be more of a niche product.

Not all consumers will of course want multiple Macs so the iPad may be a good fit (both economically and functionally.) For someone who already has a lot of Macs, I’m not sure that there’s room for another Mac in my day, but I can’t wait to find out.

New evidence in the latest iPhone SDK makes mention of a front facing camera which could mean that video iChat could finally making it’s debut in the next iPhone.

Bandwidth requirements more than software development or hardware costs have probably been keeping this feature out of the iPhone. If AT&T can’t keep a phone call from dropping, how could they handle 2-way video chat? With recent investments in their infrastructure, maybe AT&T is ready to allow this type of communication (in exchange for more iPhone exclusivity?)

Wether or not video chat finally becomes part of our day to day communication will come down to the quality of the experience.

One of the ways video chat could be improved is to get rid of the separate camera all together and integrate the camera sensor into the display itself. This way, the display will act like a true window (or mirror) and help people make proper eye contact (no looking at a camera.) This tech is in development but no word on when this will make it way into consumer devices.

The ability to switch the video feed the other user is receiving from your front camera to the back camera would also be pretty useful. If you’re witnessing an event or want to show someone something, you can both share in the experience.

If there’s a company who can make mobile video chat work, it’s definitely Apple.

Earlier this week Apple announced a repair extension program to cover some hard drive issues on certain models of MacBooks.

Which MacBooks are covered?

White or Black MacBooks with processor speeds of 1.83GHz, 2GHz, or 2.16GHz.

These MacBooks were sold roughly  between May 2006 and December 2007.

The hard drives covered are 60GB, 80GB, 100GB, 120GB, or 160GB drives that originally shipped with these Macs. The drives are serial matched to the MacBooks so they must be the original drive.

What is covered and for how long?

MacBooks whose hard drive has failed and exhibit the flashing question mark icon on startup (see picture.)

The coverage for this repair extension is three years from the original purchase date or until August 15, 2010 whichever is longer. AppleCare or ARP have no bering on coverage eligibility or length for this program.

What happens if my MacBook has the symptom and qualifies for the REP?

The hard drive on your MacBook can be replaced by MyService, Apple or any other Authorized Apple Service Provider at no charge. If at all possible, try to backup or recover any vital data before sending your Mac in for service as the old drive must be returned to Apple.

Why are hard drive failures on these specific MacBooks covered by an REP and not other Macs?

Very good question. We do not yet know why. All hard drives have the ability to fail over time and while covered by AppleCare, ARP and standard Apple warranties this is the first time we’ve seen hard drives covered by an REP. It’s possible that the drive manufactures have found manufacturing defects on certain batches of drives that were installed in these MacBooks, but that’s just speculation. We haven’t noticed any higher rate of drive defects on these models although there may be other unknown factors.

What if I’ve upgraded the hard drive on my MacBook in the past and it falls under the REP?

Apple may offer re-imbursement for paid out of warranty hard drive repairs on these Macs. You can contact Apple Support for more info on refunds.

If you have further questions on the MacBook Hard Drive Repair Extension Program you can can visit Apple’s support page or feel free to contact MyService.

Apple has released the latest version of their Aperture photo editing software.

Aperture 3 is really a semi-pro version of iPhoto that allows for more editing and organization options.

If you currently use iPhoto and wish you had more controls and editing options but don’t want to make the leap to Photoshop, Aperture may be just what you’re looking for.

At $199 for the full version ($99 for the upgrade) the software is worth trying before buying. Luckily, Apple has a 30 day free trial which will let you play with the full version.

The download is about 550MB and you’ll need an intel processor running 10.5.8 or later.

[ Aperture 3 ] [ 30 Day Free Trial ]

This looks like the work of a professional.

This MacBook screen was “pierced” straight through the LCD and right through the display cable.

We have no idea what could have caused this type impact (bullet, spear, rail gun?) but the accuracy and location of the hit suggests someone that has familiarity with Mac anatomy.

Suspects include Steve Balmer, Mark Wahlberg or perhaps a disgruntled Mac technician (if such a person even exists.) Hmmm???

White 13-inch MacBook. Back shown left. Front shown right.

1. Pricing & Availability

Wi-Fi models are shipping worldwide in 60 days.

3G models are shipping in 90 days.

Get notified when available for order.

2. Connectivity

Wi-Fi only or Wi-Fi + 3G. Both models include Bluetooth 2.1 and and EDR. 3G access will only be available for Wi-Fi + 3G iPad models ($130 extra.) The U.S. 3G data plan will be through AT&T. $14.99 per month for 250MB of data, and $29.99 per month for unlimited data. Both plans will also come with access to AT&T’s Wi-Fi hotspots. 3G model will also support GSM/EDGE and UMTS/HSDPA. International data plans are scheduled for the summer.

3. Expandability

There is a standard 30-pin dock connector. The iPad will ship with a dock to USB/Power adapter. Accessories available at launch will include; iPad Dock, iPad Camera Connection Kit, iPad USB Power Adapter, iPad Case, iPad Keyboard dock.

4. New Features

First Apple product to use the 1GHz Apple A4 chip. iBooks ebook storefront for iTunes.

5. What’s Missing?

GPS. Camera. Audio Input. USB.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the hardware specs for the new iPad:

The New Apple iPad (showing the touch screen layers)

802.11n
Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
Accelerometer & Compass
Speaker & Microphone
30-pin Connector
16GB – 64GB Flash Storage
9.7 inch IPS LED Display with 178-degree viewing angle and 1024 x 768 pixel resolution.
1/2″ Thin
1.5 Pounds
10 Hours of Battery Life (video)
1 Month Standby Charge
1Ghz Apple A4 Chip

White 32GB iPhone 3GS in for Service

We see a lot of cracked iPhone screens but this one in particular is worth a look.

The screen and glass digitizer have been severely cracked. This may be the most cracked, in tact screen shatter we’ve seen.

Usually with damage of this type, more of the screen and glass would fall away completely.

You can make out what we believe are the initial cracks on the screen running from the top right corner down to the the lower center and then back to the right.

It’s possible that the high density of cracks throughout the glass (especially to the upper right of the home button) were caused by repeat pressure or rolling on the glass surface.

The plastic backing was in good shape with no cracking or other visual damage which is rare for this level of display cracking. Usually when we see iPhones in this shape, it’s because they were run over.

We can replace the screen and digitizer in cases like this, though removing the glass shards can be quite time consuming. The main concern is protecting the cables or components that lie underneath.

[ MyService iPhone Repairs ]

With the purchase of music streaming service Lala and the continuing investment in large scale data centers, Apple appears to be building the infrastructure necessary to support a cloud based iTunes.

A cloud based iTunes could mean that your actual media files (music, movies, etc.) are stored on Apple’s own computers and are steamed to your web connected devices as you need them.

Let’s take a quick look at some pros and cons.

Pro – Storage Efficiency

Storing the same music file on your laptop, Apple TV, iPhone and iPod is an inefficient waste of storage space. For all of the millions of copies of a popular song that get purchased and stored locally across iTunes devices around the world, that same file could just be stored once (on Apple’s computer) and streamed to the owners as they need them. This would decrease the total storage needs of user’s devices significantly.

Pro – Access

With a cloud based storage model, iTunes users could access their media files from other computers and devices all around the world. With a quick login on Apple’s website, you would be able to access your playlists and pickup your movie right where you left off.

Con – Bandwidth & Internet Availability

If you don’t have internet, you don’t have your media. This is one of the biggest current limitations to cloud based computing initiatives. As wireless coverage starts to continues to improve, this may not be much of an issue in the future, however currently there are plenty of places (subways, buildings, my commute, etc.) where wireless coverage is spotty.

Con – The Ownership Issue

People like to own and control the things that they buy (even in digital format.) Innovation that make users feel connected to the media that they own in the cloud will really help sell the concept.

The move to the cloud is already well underway. Facebook is a perfect example of a cloud based service that has succeeded in making their users feel ownership of their non-locally stored data. Google and Amazon are already pushing the envelope of creating apps and services around the cloud model.

Apple is smart to be investing (and innovating) in the cloud space, while at the same time continuing to keep one leg in the current, locally stored model. I see them first providing the could based access as an add-on to the current model to test the waters and improve the service before transitioning away from locally stored media.

Apple is making it easy to donate to the Haiti earthquake relief effort through the iTunes Store. The donations range in amount from $5 to $200 and go the American Red Cross through your iTunes account. You’ll also receive a receipt of your donation to use come tax time next year.

Apple did this in the past with the tsunami relief effort and it had quite an impact.

Links to the donation page can be found on Apple’s home page and through the iTunes Store.