Obviously the model number above does not tell you much. If I tell you, 30 years from the launch of the first Walkman? Yes, in 1979, Sony launched its first personal mobile stereo system. Better known as Walkman, that small device marked decades to come and generations with “music everywhere”. These days, no more tapes, but we can’t live without the music around us, in our pockets within iPods, in our mobile phones…
30 Years of Sony TPS-L2
July 3rd, 2009Unlike Newton’s apple falling from a tree on his head, Apple computers are on the rise
July 2nd, 2009Even during the current economic slowdown when all computer distributors and manufacturers report drop in sales, I suggest that Apple is on the rise. Report sales of Apple Macs in quarter 2 of the fiscal year ending in March 2009 was 3% lower than the Q2 2008, totaling 2.22 million Macs sold. In Q3 of the last year Apple sold total of 2.496 million Macs. This year third quarter was marked with new Mac releases, characterized with lower prices and increased performance. In addition, traditional iPod offering for students who purchase a new Mac is already available at the beginning of summer instead of waiting for early September. I’ve already witnessed new Macs among friends and colleagues, although at this time people usually save money for vacations.
Whatever results in Mac sales Apple announces for Q3 2009 at the end of July, the trend in Mac popularity over Windows based PCs is much higher. Add to that the announced upgrade of the Operating System announced for September and you’ll get the bunch of happy new Mac users…
If Apple would consider selling Mac OS independently from Mac computers, I am sure it would generate an army of fresh Apple users just like new flocks of iPhone users migrate from other mobile phone vendors daily…
Unhappy users of Nokia OVI store
June 29th, 2009My last post on Nokia Ovi application store seems to proove the points. One month after its launch the online store provokes negative impressions and comments on the Internet. I’ll cite one of them related to poor customer support posted by Matthew Miller on Nokia Experts blog. I totally agree with arguments in that article and comments from Nokia users. In this time of economic slow down when users are desperately trying to get more for less, Nokia allows such an arogance to strip down the customer support to lower levels yet rise high revenue margins for their application distribution services. That obviously does not make them competitive to other mobile phone and application developpers and they continue to loose the market.
Last weekend I’ve met friends, a small mobile application development team, and discussed their view on the future of Nokia. They’ve totally agree that Nokia’s attitude does not favour small developers with restricted budget and they are turning to Apple. I bet there are many others in the mobile development industry that will follow the same trend with catastrophic results of Nokia Ovi store. That explains why there is such a poor offer of new contents for Nokia phones. Nokia continues its old strategy to release plenty of new phone models but they don’t realize that it is not what customers want.
Now I’ve regret even less that I’ve switched from N95 to iPhone…
Nokia’s Ovi store, is it enough to beat Apple’s iTunes?
May 26th, 2009Long time announced Ovi store has been launched worldwide. Is it enough to bring Nokia back to the trone?
In my opinion it’s not only Nokia to play the main role in this “come back”. It will depend even more on software developers. Currently the average price of a game on Nokia store is about 10 US$. Compare that to average iTunes game of 1 US$ and you’ll understand my point.
As I wrote before, it is difficult to maintain the business case for Symbian development where one may count on pricing the application at 1 US$ and counting on short-term return on investment. Unless Nokia simplifies further the licensing and testing costs and times with their accredited test house partners and improves device interoperability.
It will also take some time to get to the market. Have all the average Nokia users known that Ovi store is being launched? Don’t think so, while all iPhone and iPod users know about iTunes even before buying their device. Also, what about already known and well established application distribution Web sites and mobile operators? Will they continue to distribute applications? Will average user then visit them all to check for the featured application, and to compare the price? Will operators still charge less then developers?
Too many questions to confuse a phone user…
Gundam 30th anniversary
May 22nd, 2009In April 1979 a TV series called Mobile Suite Gundam featured a giant robotic suite piloted by a human who was seated inside machine. Not only innovative in the world of manga and anime this serie, still popular 3 decades later, inspired creation of biosuites and robotic design.
Sunrise studio started construction of a full scale Gundam at Tokyo’s Odaiba to mark the anniversary. gundam30th