We’re getting a lot of feedback from American readers who are upset that, with iPad 2 inventory so low at US Apple Stores and online orders already pushed back over a month, Apple is going ahead with the international iPad 2 roll-out this Friday. They believe that Apple should meet “home country” demand first even if it means delaying the international launch by a month, like they did last year for the original iPad.
Of course, many US iPads were also bought by international enthusiasts eager to get it right away (or by scalpers who lined up by the dozens to make a quick buck selling them overseas.) I’m guessing if you live in the US you might agree that Apple should meet US demand first (or are even thinking of traveling to the Canadian or UK launch to try to get your iPads back!). International buyers are no doubt relieved the won’t be a delay this year.
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Tim Cook, Apple COO, revealed to an analyst that Cupertino’s finest are working on a cheaper iPhone that could be used with pre-paid plans. No details were given, but it’s likely that Apple is developing a nerfed iPhone with low-power guts. The New York Times confirms that Apple is not working on a physically smaller “iPhone Nano”, but rather “changing internal components of the device to bring costs down“.
Apple’s not one to hop on the bandwagon when it comes to new tech that isn’t fully developed (though the latest MacBooks beg to differ), but Verizon is hopeful that Apple will release an LTE-capable device at some vague point in the future. The iPhone lagged behind during the rush to 3G, but the 4G smartphone market is far from saturated. Pumping out an LTE device before it’s “old news” could boost sales for both Apple and Verizon.
Imagine a world without the iPod, iPhone, or iPad. Back in the mid-1990s, when Apple was struggling through its worst financial woes, there were plans for Sun Microsystems, the developers of Java, to buyout Apple. “Back in late 1995 early ’96, when we were at our peak, we were literally hours away from buying Apple for about $5 to $6 a share,” said Ed Zander, who had built Sun’s software business into a powerhouse and was rewarded with promotion to CEO by his mentor, Scott McNealy.
The second piece of news is pretty huge: Apple has released a developer preview of its upcoming version of Mac OS X. Codenamed ‘Lion,’ the developer preview comes only a few months before the target release date of ‘summer.’ While some of the more striking features were shown off previously at Apple’s ‘Back to the Mac’ fall event in late 2010, they have added even more to the mix. Probably the most interesting is the inclusion of a server right on the regular install disk. Since Mac OS X Server was, in the past, a totally separate product, it is interesting to see Apple giving users something that could potentially be a huge feature. Other features include new gestures, new Mail and other PIM apps, and some tweaking to the overall UI. Our very own Jawcl has put together a fantastic screenshot tour that shows off all of the new features of the new OS.
According to a report by the Times of London, Apple’s lead designer, Jonathan Ive, is considering moving back to the UK with his family. In 2008, Ive received a stock option grant that allowed him to purchase stocks now worth over $30 million—which he may cash in for an early retirement. The Ives want their children to be educated in English schools, but the hands-on nature of design and prototyping would make it difficult for Ive to continue his position at Apple from across the pond.
Apple has rolled out the lastest version of iTunes, which is required for the iPad 2 and iOS 4.3. It’s a good idea to go ahead and install it now, so you don’t have to wait around to activate your new tablet on the 11th. Apple has also improved the Home Sharing function, which allows users to stream media to other computers on a local network.
During the horrific earthquake and resulting tsunami in Japan last week, many companies have gone out of their way to help survivors reconnect with their families. AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint are all providing free calls and texts to Japan, and massively influential companies, like Google and Apple, are also doing their part to raise awareness.