Kindle beats Apple's closed book on choice

Open...and Shut Despite the fact that our gadgets increasingly multi-task as cameras, phones, email devices, and more, we continue to accumulate different devices to serve different functions.

Perhaps because of this multi-device reality, those digital goods vendors who persist in seeing the world as one big Apple iOS party are likely to lose in their chosen markets.

Like Apple in ebooks, for example.
There's no question that Apple has been phenomenally successful in selling phones, tablets, and laptops. But in ebooks? Not so much.

At least, not compared to Kindle books. Apple continues to have far fewer titles and far fewer sales. This, despite a relatively strong start from iBook sales and some evidence that iBook sales are growing the overall ebook market. And despite a hugely successful iPad 2 launch (and long-term success with iPad 1).

The problem? IBooks are only available on Apple devices, whereas Kindle ebooks are available everywhere - or nearly so. Kindle ebook sales dominate iBooks even on Apple devices.

So much so that author J.A. Konrath reports a 60:1 Kindle:iBook sales ratio.
This makes sense in the multi-device world in which we live. As much as we may want to be all-Apple, all of the time, the reality is that at some point we're going to use a non-Apple device, and that moment is the when Amazon's Kindle model makes so much more sense. Kindle ebooks follow the reader everywhere she happens to go. On their Android device. On their iOS device.

More information, please visit this site

PlayBook's first-day sales outdo Galaxy Tab and Xoom, analyst says

BlackBerry PlayBook sales hit 50,000 for the first day of sales on April 19, including pre-sales, an analyst at RBC Capital Markets estimated. Overall, Research in Motion (RIM) is on track to sell 500,000 PlayBooks in its first fiscal quarter ending in May, analyst Mike Abramsky wrote in a note to his clients that was reported in the Montreal Gazette.

Abramsky's staff checked 70 retails stores and found 11% of the locations that stocked the device had sold out. "The launch appears to have been stronger than the launch of Motorola's Xoom or the Samsung Galaxy Tab, although it's too early to judge sustainability," Abramsky wrote.

In suburban Boston, one Best Buy outlet had only one 16GB PlayBook on sale for $499.99 the first day; it was also being used as a demonstration model. A nearby Radio Shack sold all three PlayBooks it had on the first day, a clerk said.

Several analysts said that RIM was probably relying on pre-sales of the device to business customers, although business sales were said to be direct from RIM to customers and not through retailers.

The PlayBook has been criticized for not including a native email client, forcing users to rely on a Web-based email account. Users can also tether to a BlackBerry smartphone for access to corporate mail through BlackBerry Bridge software on the PlayBook and its connection through the phone to a BlackBerry Enterprise Server.

More information, please visit this site

Panasonic HDC-SD60K (black)

Panasonic's quartet of entry-level HD camcorders the HDC-HS60, TM60, TM55, and SD60 delivers a good performance, as well as solid video quality for their class. The SD60 is a great value, and avoid paying the unnecessary price premium for the hard drive in the HS60.

Is it just me, or are four nearly identical versions of the same product a wee bit much? Panasonic seems to be taking a carpet bomb approach to the entry-level HD camcorder market, with those four models in the slim range between $500 and $700. The HDC-SD60, TM55, and TM60 are all identical save the amount of built-in memory: none, 8GB, and 16GB respectively; the TM60 is an exclusive to Best Buy. The HS60 includes a 120GB hard disk, and because of that has a slightly different design. Reviews of all four products are based on testing of the SD60 and HS60.

Overall, the camcorders have a comfortable-to-grip design and feel well built. If your hands are large or you simply don't like the tubular design of the flash-memory models, the HS60's hard disk sticks up on the right side, giving you a little extra edge to grip. None of them have an accessory shoe, so the top of the camcorder simply has a zoom switch and shutter button for still photos. Unusual for the price class, the series includes an LED video light for shooting in dim environments. Though it's a nice touch, don't shine it directly at people--it's quite blinding.

More information, please visit this site

Flip UltraHD (2009, black)

This is the 2009 version of the Flip UltraHD. While it's still available through some retailers, note that the updated 2010 Flip UltraHD is now available.

Every six months or so, Flip Video--slated to be absorbed by Cisco by the end of the year--puts out a new model or two of its popular YouTube-friendly point-and-shoot mini camcorders. Late last year it was the MinoHD. Now, for spring 2009, the company brings us two updated versions of the Ultra: a higher-end model, the UltraHD, which shoots 720p (1,280x720) high-definition video, and a less expensive Ultra, which shoots 640x480 VGA video.

For starters, the transflective LCD on the back is bigger, measuring 2 inches, compared with 1.5 inches. The buttons are also bigger and the UltraHD, which comes in black or white, has a sort of rubberized, matte finish that allows you to grip the device a bit more easily.

Most importantly, this model comes with a set of AA-size NiMH rechargeable batteries you can charge in the unit by simply connecting the camcorder (via its trademark flip-out USB connector) to the USB port on your computer. Alternatively, you can swap in a pair of standard AA alkaline batteries if you don't have time to charge. That standard battery backup option is a nice convenience, but there's a drawback: the batteries are bulkier and heavier than the slim lithium ion type built into the MinoHD. So by default you're getting a bigger, heavier camcorder--the UltraHD weighs 6.1 ounces versus 3.3 ounces for the MinoHD. That said, the UltraHD is still pocket-friendly, just not as pocket-friendly as the MinoHD.

One thing we don't like about the new design is the chrome plastic trim on the sides of the unit. It looks good but you'll find your self continually wiping off fingerprint smudges with the soft, velvety pouch that ships with the product. We would have preferred some sort of brushed metal, or a brushed-metal look. Another minor ding: there's an HDMI output on the side for HDTV connections, but no bundled cable. That's not a huge deal, but Kodak, for instance, includes an HDMI cable with the Zx1, which retails for about $50 less.

Like the MinoHD, the UltraHD shoots 720p video at 30fps, H.264 compressed, and encoded as MPEG-4. The unit lacks a memory card slot, which is too bad, but its 8GB of internal memory allows you to record 2 hours of video. That should be ample recording capacity for most folks, but if you're on a vacation and shoot a lot of video, it would help to have a laptop along for the ride to offload your video as you run out of memory.

More information, please visit this site

Apple's iPad 2 is the 'Holy Grail' of computing

Eleven months ago, Apple released the first iPad, a touchscreen handheld computer that redefined tablets, disrupting the laptop/desktop market just as the iPod did to music players and the iPhone did to smartphones. On Friday, 15 million iPads later, Apple released its successor, the iPad 2. Many people -- myself included --predicted long lines and sell-outs, just like last year. So did Apple deliver?

Lines formed across the U.S., even though this year's iPad 2 launch offered many more places to buy the new tablet than last year. In addition to Apple's retail stores, Best Buy, Walmart, Target, AT&T, Verizon, Sam's Club, and select Apple resellers had a limited number of iPad 2s available on Friday.

Over 100 people were waiting in line a half hour before the iPad 2 went on sale at 5 p.m. Staffers kept us informed of inventory levels: the 16GB models went first, followed by the 32GB versions, until only 64GB 3G models were left. I got the last one available after the guy in front of me decided he really wanted another model and decided to try another store nearby; he handed me the iPad 2 that became mine. Thank you, sir.

Look and feel

The iPad 2 is 7.3 in. wide x 9.5 in. long x .34 in. thick -- thinner and lighter than the first-generation version. The 9.7-in. 1024 x 768-pixel screen is the same, framed by a black or white border. The aluminum at the edge of the screen flows into the flat back, but it's hard to describe the graceful physical design. There's no side lip like the previous iPad had, and the result is a beautifully sleek unibody design. It's hard to believe devices will become thinner than this. Of course, they will, but for now: wow. The thinner iPad is easier to hold, and the aluminum body -- in concert with the oil-resistant oleophobic coated glass -- gives it a sturdy, luxurious feel.

The iPad 2 is noticeably lighter. While officially it's just a few ounces -- the old one weighed 1.5 pounds, this one, 1.3 pounds -- the difference is enough that the iPad 2 feels at first as if you could use it extensively without propping it in your lap. Don't be fooled; If you don't prop it up, your wrist will still get tired of holding it, albeit it takes longer for fatigue to set in. Still, any weight savings is a step in the right direction, especially since build quality remains high.

Given the three storage options, I'm often asked whether the move from 16GB to 32GB or even 64GB is worth the cost. That depends on several factors, including the size of your iTunes library and whether the iPad will be a home or travel device. If the iPad will mainly stay home, iTunes Home Sharing should offset the need for more storage, as you can access your computers' iTunes libraries on your local Wi-Fi network and play their content on the device wirelessly. This includes movies, TV shows, podcasts, music and music videos, which you access from either the built-in iPod or Video applications.

In general, though, I've always felt it's better to have too much storage than too little; I'd have bought a 256GB model if I could. Then again, my iTunes library is nearly 1TB in size.

More information, please visit this site

Smartphone OS shootout: Android vs. iOS vs. Windows Phone

The past year has been a remarkable one for smartphones, with the meteoric rise of Google's Android OS, the restart of Microsoft's mobile strategy with its much-ballyhooed release of Windows Phone 7 and the continuing success of Apple's iPhone, buoyed by its new availability to Verizon subscribers.

Which smartphone operating system really is the best? More important, which one is best for you?

If you're in the market for a new smartphone, choosing which one to buy has much to do with the operating system that runs the phone as with the hardware itself. To help you decide, I put the latest versions of the three top mobile operating systems through their paces: Android 2.3, Windows Phone 7 and iOS 4.3.

There are, of course, two other smartphone operating systems out there: RIM's BlackBerry OS and Hewlett-Packard's webOS. However, we decided not to include them at this point.

Although RIM still has a considerable presence, its market share has been plunging, dropping from nearly 36% to just over 30% in the most recent quarter, and its developer support has been anemic, with an estimated 20,000 apps available even though it's been around for far longer than the iPhone and Android platforms, each of which has hundreds of thousands apps. (Windows Phone 7, which was launched just last October, has about 9,500 apps.) In other words, it no longer feels like a contender.

If BlackBerry makes a comeback, we'll include it in our next roundup. We'll also be watching HP's webOS, which will be available on several new devices this summer.

I concentrated as much as I could on the underlying operating systems, not the hardware on which they run. To get the truest look at Android, I tested it using a Samsung Nexus S, which ships with a version of Android that hasn't been customized by either the device maker or the service provider. For a look at Windows Phone 7, I chose the HTC Surround. And for iOS, I looked at the iPhone 4.

I've compared the platforms in several different categories, including ease of use, app availability, features, integration with desktop and Web-based apps, customization and platform openness. Come along for the ride and see if you agree.

More information, please visit this site

Nokia Astound coming to T-Mobile April 6 for $79.99

ORLANDO, Fla.--Though T-Mobile and Nokia are both in a state of flux, they're joining forces to offer an affordable smartphone for the U.S. market.

Today, both companies announced that the Nokia Astound will be available from T-Mobile starting April 6 for $79.99 with a two-year contract. The Astound is basically a rebranded version of the C7, and features the same sleek design, 3.5-inch AMOLED touch screen, a rear-facing 8-megapixel camera capable of 720p HD video capture, and a front-facing camera for video calls.

The Symbian 3-based smartphone offers some enhancements, such as the addition of a portrait keyboard, and comes preloaded with the usual Ovi Maps, Ovi Store with support for carrier billing, including Swype, Slacker Radio, and Fruit Ninja. The Astound also supports T-Mobile's Wi-Fi calling feature and has an embedded NFC chip.

We got some hands-on time with the device at a special event here at CTIA 2011 and actually liked what we saw. The smartphone's design quality is top-notch, and though Symbian 3 trails the other mobile operating systems in ease of use and functionality, it looked nice and worked smoothly on the Astound.

It certainly won't appeal to everyone, but the Astound's wallet-friendly price tag will fit the bill for some, especially since data plans for the phone start at $10 per month. Check out our hands-on photo gallery below for more.

More information, please visit this site