The Tech Bench

Okay, so maybe this matchup is a little unfair. While Apple may consider the Apple TV as a side project or “hobby,” Sony is in it to win it with the PlayStation.

While these devices seem totally different at first (one is a media player to extend iTunes and the other is a full blow gaming console) they are both are involved in the battle for the living room.

Let’s see how they stack up:

Sony PlayStation 3 Slim

Price – $299

Hardware - 120GB SATA HD, 802.11g WiFi, Gigabit Ethernet, 1080p HD, Bluetooth, Blu-Ray Optical Drive, 7lbs.

Software – Blu-Ray and DVD Movie Player, Netflix Streaming (announced,) PlayStationNetwork TV & Movie Downloads, Web Browser, Music Player, Photo Viewer, Console Video Games

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Apple TV

Price – $229

Hardware - 160GB PATA HD, 802.11n WiFi, 10/100 Ethernet, 720p HD, 2lbs.

Software – iTunes Integration, Movie & TV downloads, YouTube, Internet Radio, iPhoto Viewer

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Hardware Comparisons

The PS3 provides higher quality HD, faster ethernet, a better controller (bluetooth and USB chargeable) and of course a Blu-Ray player.

The Apple TV has a larger HD (although the PS3 has SATA drives that can go bigger than 320GB,) faster WiFi (802.11n) and is significantly smaller.

Software Comparisons

The PS3′s obvious benefits here are the DVD/Blu-Ray player and games. Integrating other services like Netflix is what makes the PS3 a real media (movie and TV) contender.

The Apple TV has great iTunes integration which is the one and only feather in it’s hat. YouTube was a nice addition, but nothing else has really been added.

Results

I own, like and use both. If I had to recommend one of these systems to buy this holiday season, I’d go PS3 all the way.

Apple TV has great iTunes integration. I use this as my primary jukebox and renting movies is great (if they’re available.) The lack of 1080p, the slowness of the interface and the lack of third party content, really hurts this device. Content providers and creators do not seem to want to support Apple in the video space. Until this changes, the Apple TV will be limited to being a TV player for your iTunes library.

The PS3 was slow to catch on but seems to be gaining momentum. Even if you’re just a casual gamer, the free online access, slick interface, and advanced hardware really pay off. Since I can’t rent most new releases on Apple TV, I end up using my PS3 for DVDs and Blu-Ray for a lot of movie watching. The addition of Netflix streaming shows that Sony is serious about expanding the content and working with 3rd parties.

Conclusion

The PS3 and XBOX are kind of like the smartphones of the TV space, they try to do it all in one device. The Apple TV is more like the iPod Nano, good at what it does but doesn’t try to give you everything you want. Most people like simplicity in their home setup and prefer one device.

While Apple is probably not going to take away the console game market, they could and should be pushing harder in the video space. They have the right tech, the right UI design,  just not the right partners.

If the Apple TV is going to stay relevant, they have to up their game. We know Sony will continue to up theirs.

According to AppleInsider, Google has stated that they are working on bringing Latitude and the newly announced Navigation apps to the iPhone if Apple approves.

Great. But will Apple approve?

As Google continues it’s expanse into Apple’s territory (browser, OS, phone OS, Music) will Apple go the Google Voice route and block access or embrace them and potentially help a rival gain market share?

I can only imagine that there are a lot of high level strategy discussions at Apple involving their relationship with Google.

Both parties are holding good cards and have been playing them well lately. When they work together the consumer seems to benefit, so let’s hope they continue down that path.

[ AppleInsider ]

Google has announced that Google Maps Navigation is coming with the release of the new Motorola Droid.

Navigation is also coming to other Android 2.0 devices, but what about the iPhone?

Navigation is part of Google Maps Mobile which is available for other devices (iPhone, Blackberry, WinMO, Nokia, etc.) but no word yet on wether the new Navigation feature will be made available for these devices.

The Google Maps Navigation demo looks very cool. It’s a free turn by turn internet connected GPS navigation system that looks like it will pretty much put the standalone GPS market (TomTom, Garmin) out of business.

Features like this will definitely make people want an Android phone. So will Google keep these goodies for themselves as a differentiator (like Apple does with iTunes) or will they slow release these new features to other handsets to give Android a short term boost?

I hope Google keeps with their tradition of releasing products to as many devices as possible. That way we get great features like this, combined with the benefits of the iPhone. Is it too much to ask? Time will tell.

Check out the Navigation demo.

[ Google Navigation ] [ Goole Mobile ]

Not sure how long AT&T has been doing this, but you can now check to see if your plan qualifies for the upgrade iPhone price straight from your phone.

Simply dial *NEW# (*639#) on your AT&T phone and you’ll receive a text within a minute with your upgrade eligibility.

This process is much faster and easier than having Apple or AT&T employees check. Whoever thought of this gets a gold star.

Repair your cracked or damaged MacBook Screen with a new LED screen from MyService.

MyService offers screen replacements for the new white 13-inch LED MacBook for $345.

The price includes a new glossy LED screen (the exact same one that comes with the MacBook,) same day installation from an Apple Authorized technician and free round trip shipping.

MyService installs only brand new LED panels and includes a zero dead pixel policy.

If the screen develops a dead pixel or any other defect inside of the 1 year warranty, MyService will install a new screen for free.

Note: These LED screens are not backwards compatible with previous generation (LCD) MacBooks.

If your MacBook screen has been cracked or damaged, you can order your service here.

[ MyService Screen Replacements ]

Today is Windows 7 launch day. It’s been time for some time Microsoft.

With Windows 7 receiving positive reviews and reactions from users, there is obviously a lot of comparison to Snow Leopard.

While few Mac users are likely to make the switch (back) to Windows with this release, Windows 7 is very much welcome.

So why is Windows 7 good for Mac users?

In a word, competition.

PC manufactures have long been limited by running XP or the generally panned Vista on their computers and have since been competing more on cost than on features users want.

While this has helped Apple gain market share and build their brand as an alternative to the low end Windows experience, overall innovation in the computer industry, especially in the high end, has suffered.

The perception alone that Windows 7 is a good, solid OS, should embolden PC manufacturers. If Windows 7 enables and encourages PC makers to deliver the same (or near) level of quality, integration and innovation that Apple produces, this will be a net win for Mac users.

If we see more competition in the high end, the overall market will benefit from the innovation.

Hopefully this will step up the features in Apple hardware and OS 10.7. I for one can’t wait!

Apple today announced a new white 13-inch MacBook.

This 13″ white MacBook looks very similar to previous generation but is loaded with new features and design changes while staying at the $999 price point.

This new MacBook carries over the same white look, and is made of a similar polycarbonate (plastic) material but using the unibody method of manufacturing. This should translate into a much stronger and durable design while maintaining the aesthetic of the original.

The fact that they kept the MacBook white should be welcome news to those who prefer this look over the more industrial aluminum design of the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air.

The new MacBook is equipped with a LED backlit display (same size and resolution of the previous LCD,) a larger glass multi-touch trackpad and a new built-in, longer lasting battery (up to 7 hours.) Overall a more eco friendly design with the same battery and trackpad technology found in the rest of the MacBook line.

Missing from the new MacBook is Firewire, which although unfortunate, is expected.

While not revolutionary, this new MacBook has some welcome design updates and keeps the look and feel of the original MacBook that has been so successful.

As a side note, Apple has placed an interior shot of the MacBook on their site.

This is a first. I guess they got tired of all of the teardown shots driving traffic to other sites. I for one am glad they did.

The new MacBook is available today from the Apple Store for $999. We like!

[ The New 13-inch White MacBook ]

Apple now has 9.4% of the U.S market share and is the fourth largest (by computers sold) PC manufacturer in the U.S.

While impressive numbers for Apple (they managed to grow shipments by 11% in the 3rd quarter,) the question remains, why are they number 4 behind HP, Dell and Acer?

The answer is that Macs cost more.

If all 4 brands were exactly the same cost, I’m sure most people (or at least a lot more than 10%) would chose OS X over Windows.

Apple has repeatedly said they aren’t interested in selling the most computers but that they want to sell the best computers. What would happen if Apple released bargain laptops? Not a netbook or a tablet, but a $599, 15″ plastic laptop running OS X.

The software, the overall design aesthetic, the stores, the cool boxes would all carry over to a cheaper laptop. Yes, the specs and build quality would suffer, but the brand is strong enough to draw people into choosing the white Apple logo over the blue Dell logo. Would the brand be diluted and alienate the customers who are paying $2500 for a MacBook Pro?

On the plus side, you’re getting even more people to use and enjoy the Mac OS and create a halo effect for those users to want to upgrade to a MacBook Pro later on down the line. On the down side, the margins in the low end are weak and Apple would need to sell a lot of these “lesser Macs” to make the same profit as they do on the high end. Apple is great at making premium computers, but are they capable at making decent cheap ones? HP and Dell both try to sell “premium” laptops but they just can’t seem to sell them.

A good brand comparison is Mercedes-Benz. In the U.S., Mercedes is considered a premium brand. In Germany, Mercedes sells a lot of entry level cars (the taxis are low end Mercedes.) In Europe, the brand can exist and be successful in both the high and low end. They tried selling a low end C230 hatchback in the U.S. a few years back and it was sales disaster. Consumers in the U.S. put a lot of importance (probably way too much) on brand identity and electronics are no different.

So will Apple try and broaden their user base by competing with HP, Dell and others on price. I don’t think so. Would cheaper Macs dilute the Apple brand? In the U.S., they probably would.

My hope is that Apple’s success in creating unique, quality products will inspire other manufacturers to step away from just competing for the lowest price. PC manufacturers (wake up Sony!) need to start better competing in Apple’s territory before Apple feels the need to compete in theirs.

I love my Apple TV.

I use it as my primary jukebox at home and think it’s the best way to rent movies (if they’re available.)

So besides having more new releases available for rent the same day they come out on DVD, what do we want to see in an updated Apple TV?

1. SATA Hard Drive Interface

The current Apple TV uses the older PATA 2.5″ hard drive interface which limits the capacity of the hard drive to 320GB. SATA 2.5″ hard drives (like the ones used in MacBooks) currently go up to 750GB with larger 1TB and bigger drives on the horizon.

2. 1080p HD Resolution

The current Apple TV has a max resolution of 720p, but most HD TVs nowadays can run at 1080p. Although the file size of 1080p video will be larger, hopefully so will the hard drives.

3. Boxee / Hulu / Netflix / DVR

When YouTube access got added to the Apple TV, everyone got excited about the possibilities of combining the Apple TV experience with other video services. Unfortunately, nothing else has been (officially) added. The content creators and content providers are still working out their differences. It’ll probably take some more consolidation in the industry before they all play nice together.

4. Extended Apple TV

Sonos is awesome and very expensive. Networked Apple TVs that allow media to be played across different rooms in the house would really be cool. Apple should buy Sonos and incorporate their software into iTunes.

5. Faster, Better Remote

The Remote app for the iPhone and iPod Touch is great except its way too slow to connect. The remote app should be instant on (like all other remotes) or just improve the remote that comes with the Apple TV. I’m all for simple and clean designs but my poor Apple TV remote is constantly being made fun of by the bigger remotes. While we’re at it, let’s switch to rf control and not have to point the remote at the Apple TV.

So there you have it. People love their Macs, but they also love sitting and starring at a TV. The Apple TV is great way to combine these two activities. Hopefully the next version of the Apple TV will continue to improve upon the experience.

Today Adobe released their Photoshop.com Mobile iPhone app. It allows you to perform some basic photo editing without having to leave your iPhone.

Some of the editing features available are cropping, rotation, flipping, exposure and saturation. Basic Photoshop filters include Black and White, Vignette Blur and Pop.

The app includes 2GB of free online storage for you photos, which you can edit directly from the app. You’re also able to edit photos already on your phone, or take new pictures using the camera.

The app is not nearly as full featured as any Photoshop desktop applications, but it’s definitely a start. Photoshop.com Mobile is available at the App Store for free.

[ Photoshop.com ]