Posts from — March 2008

Daniel Eran Dilger
Certain pundits have developed a rash of malignant concerns about iPhone 2.0’s SDK. The first issue they’re scratching at is the iPhone’s apparent inability to run multiple applications at once. The suggestion is that the iPhone is a multitasking impaired appliance just like the original Mac or the Palm Pilot, and unlike the supposed multitasking powerhouse that is Windows CE, which powers Windows Mobile devices. That’s wrong, here’s why.

Auf Deutsch: iPhone 2.0 SDK: Der „kann kein Multitasking“ Mythos
Übersetzung: digital express

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Daniel Eran Dilger
This weekend I was invited to Texas to attend the monthly meeting of Apple Corp Dallas, the oldest user group in existence devoted to Apple products. It was fun to travel and the prospect of speaking in front of a large group was exciting, but while the spirit was willing, the flesh was weak.

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Daniel Eran Dilger
In the smartphone business, Apple is like a Microsoft combined with a Motorola and a RIM; it makes money on software, hardware, and services. It also makes money at retail and with accessories, and software and media sales, and earns money back from its service partners. Other hardware makers can’t compete with Apple in all these areas because they’re all fixed into position as pawns of the mobile providers.

Apple’s iPhone Vs. Other Mobile Hardware Makers: 5 Revenue Engines

But what about pure software makers? Will Microsoft or Google or the open source community deliver a good enough equivalent version of the iPhones’ software features to enable generic hardware makers to catch up in the same way that Microsoft ported Apple’s unpatented Mac technology to the PC in the late 80s? Here’s a look at the threats posed by rival smartphone software makers, and how well the iPhone will be able to compete against them.

Auf Deutsch: Das Apple iPhone im Vergleich zu anderen Betriebssystemen
Übersetzung: digital express

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Epocrates, Inc., the developer of mobile applications used by more than 500,000 healthcare professionals, has announced plans to bring its clinical software products to the iPhone. The popular prescription management software was highlighted by Steve Jobs during the iPhone Software Roadmap media briefing alongside demonstrations by Salesforce.com, AOL’s Instant Messenger service, and games from EA and Sega.
“By putting so much computing power into such an elegant mobile device, Apple has opened up tremendous opportunities for application developers,” said Kirk Loevner, Epocrates Chairman and CEO. “The technology and software in the iPhone OS will allow us to create new and innovative applications that help improve patient safety and provide healthcare professionals with an unsurpassed user experience.”

Continues: Epocrates answers call of iPhone-wielding healthcare professionals

Technorati Tags: Apple, Development, iPhone, Software

Apple’s SDK roadmap announcements were expected to primarily introduce the company’s plans for releasing development tools for casual developers, but chief executive Steve Jobs started the event by introducing broad initiatives to greatly improve the iPhone’s features to satiate the demands of Enterprise users.

Continues: Apple’s iPhone takes on the Enterprise

Technorati Tags: Apple, Development, iPhone, Software

Following our introduction and teardown of Time Capsule, we were deluged with questions from readers about the product and how it works. Here’s what we’ve found, along with some discoveries reported by readers.

Continues: Answers to Time Capsule reader questions

Technorati Tags: Apple, Apple TV, Mac, Review, Software

Time Capsule moves Apple’s popular AirPort line of wireless base stations one step closer into the realm of embedded servers, providing shared file and print services in addition to acting as a target for Leopard’s Time Machine feature. Here’s a look at how it works with Leopard, Tiger and Windows clients, and what components are inside the device making everything happen.

Continues: Teardown: a look inside Apple’s Time Capsule backup appliance

Technorati Tags: Apple, Review, Software, the Media

Daniel Eran Dilger
This weekend, I’ll be visiting the Apple Corps of Dallas to give a roughly drafted presentation on Apple, me, technology, and whatever else tumbles from my mouth, followed by a question and (hopefully) answer session. If you’re in the Dallas area, it would be great to meet you at the event, being held at the Richardson Civic Center on March 8, 2008. There’s more information on the group’s website at www.acd.us.

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Over the last year, many observers have wondered when Apple would deliver Adobe Flash support on the iPhone. At the company’s shareholder meeting on Tuesday, Steve Jobs made comments that indicate that support isn’t coming anytime soon, thanks to architectural limitations in Flash itself. A full explanation of those limitations follow.

Continues: Steve Jobs pans Flash on the iPhone

Previous coverage of iPhone Flash support and Flash Lite:

Apple iPhone vs LG Prada KE850
The iPhone Threat to Adobe, Microsoft, Sun, Real, BREW, Symbian
Gone in a Flash: More on Apple’s iPhone Web Plans

Technorati Tags: Apple, Development, iPhone, Mac, Software, the Media

AppleInsider joined Apple investors, some of whom traveled from as far away as Europe, at the company’s annual shareholders meeting in Cupertino on Tuesday, where Steve Jobs and his executive team were both grilled and lauded for their future outlook and strategy in terms of games, retail operations, corporate accountability, future product plans, and Jobs’ future successor as chief executive.

Continues: Investors probe Apple’s Jobs on successor, games, future products

Coverage of the 2007 Event: Answers from Steve Jobs at Apple’s Shareholder Meeting

Technorati Tags: Apple, Apple TV, Content, Development, iPhone, iPod, Mac, Software, the Media

Time Capsule, Apple’s brand name for an Airport Extreme Base Station with an integrated hard drive and power adapter, is now shipping. Here’s a look at what’s in the box, and how the new Apple TV-sized wireless backup unit stacks up against the existing AirPort Extreme.

Continues: Apple Time Capsule unboxing and preview

Technorati Tags: Apple, Apple TV, Content, Mac, Review, Software

Back in 2004, shortly before the release of Mac OS X Tiger, Delicious Library 1.0 arrived as a slick looking inventory cataloging application designed to manage listings of books, videos, albums and other media. This year, Delicious Library 2.0, currently in beta and scheduled for a March release, will deliver a major update by taking full advantage of features in the new Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard. Here’s an exclusive preview.

Continues: Exclusive preview: Delicious Monster’s Delicious Library 2.0

Technorati Tags: Apple, Development, Mac, Software