Microsoft is Joining the 7″ Tablet Bandwagon

Credit: Microsoft Inc.

In response to the success of the Google’s 7 inch Nexus, Amazon’s 7 inch Kindle Fire and Apple’s 7.9 inch iPad mini, Microsoft is joining the 7 inch fray. The Wall Street Journal reports that Redmond is developing a smaller version of its Surface tablet, and that it will launch later this year.

If tablets are booming, those in the 7-8 inch category are doubly booming, with IDC reporting that more than half of all tablets that shipped in the fourth quarter of 2012 were this size.

The lower price of the smaller devices makes them much more palatable to cost-conscious buyers. Microsoft is aware of the need for lower-priced devices, and has recently altered the Windows 8 hardware requirements to permit smaller, cheaper screens. Many buyers also find the smaller form factor more convenient due to its reduced size and weight.

The WSJ also notes that Microsoft is working on a smartphone of its own, but that component suppliers were unclear if there were any plans to actually bring this to market.

The paper quotes a person familiar with the situation saying that while 7-inch tablets were not part of Microsoft’s product plans last year  company executives have realized they need to respond to the growth and popularity of small slates. Which boils down to Redmond is having to play catch up yet again.

Microsoft finds itself increasingly threatened in its PC business. The future of PCs is being questioned as users move to alternative computing devices such as tablets and smartphones. Experts agree that first quarter PC shipments totaled 76.3 million units, down 13.9 percent compared to the same quarter last year.

The decline was worse than the 7.7 percent previously forecast by the analyst firm, and the market could be headed into further contraction. Microsoft’s Windows 8 did not help PC shipments grow, as fewer consumers are upgrading PCs to Windows 8, and businesses are largely sticking with Windows 7, IDC analysts said.

As the tablets market gets more and more crowded, soon we will see the separation of the men from the boys.  Darwin’s theory regarding the survival of the fittest will once again be tested.  May be best one win.  Good Day.

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Refurbished iMacs Available at Apple

Credit: Apple Inc.

If you are an Apple loyalist and have an unsatisfied thirst for an iMac, I have good news for you.  Apple is currently offering refurbished iMacs at tempting prices (e.g., $1,189.00 and $1,269.00).  That’s a savings of 20 and 15 percent off.  Looks to me like a terrific deal.

Apple has added refurbished models of the current-generation 21.5″ iMac to its Online Store in the past several days, offering a faster-shipping alternative to customers looking to get a desktop Mac.

New iMac models on the Apple Online Store list a lead time of several weeks to get delivered, while the refurbished models claim to ship in 1-3 days, with $200 and $230 discounts on the low- and high-end 21″ models respectively.

Apple Retail Stores list mid-March as the earliest time to pick up new 21″ iMacs ordered online, but Amazon.com claims to have both 21″ models in stock [$1,299 and $1,494] and eligible for Amazon Prime shipping.

27″ iMac models have yet to appear on the refurbished store, with the company reporting a 3-4 week lead time online and late March for in-store pickup. Amazon has the base 27″ model in stock for $1,799.

To be candid with you, I have a problem buying high-price ticket items in the United States, mainly because I can’t use the product’s guarantee.  I prefer to buy my stuff where I can see it, touch it, and rest assured I will use the product’s guarantee for when the products goes sour.

Recently I purchased a Vaio laptop and it came with a factory defect.  No problem, I took it to Sony Panama, and in less than four days, I got my computer back with a brand new motherboard.  How can I do that with a U.S. purchased product?  Even though the price may be slightly higher, I’m willing to cough my hard-earned cash on products in Panamanian computer stores.

I’m definitely interested on a low-end 21.5″ iMac, but the piggy bank is empty as this moment.  I’m a patient man and can wait until the time is ripe.  Meanwhile, my ole desktop HP will do the work.  Patience is still a virtue in this part of the world.  Take Care

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Is Apple’s iPad an Entertainment Gadget or a Productivity Tool?

Credit: Apple Inc.

After using an Apple iPad for about five months, I would say that the ubiquitous gadget serves both purposes quite well due to its vast apps covering almost any need you might think of, and a lot more.  It’s my understanding that there are more than 275,000 apps for the Apple iPad, even as we speak, and counting.

Taking advantage of its gorgeous Retina Display, viewing movies using Neftflix’s app is a most gratifying experience.  In the foreseeable future, all of Apple’s products with a screen will have the Retina Display feature—2048×1536 PPD (Pixels Per Degree).

Retina Display is a brand name used by Apple for liquid crystal displays which they claim have a high enough pixel density that the human eye is unable to notice pixelation at a typical viewing distance. The term is used for several Apple products, including the iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad and MacBook Pro.  There are strong rumors on the Web that Apple is working on a new iPad Mini with this feature as well.

Retina display is also an awesome feature for video games.  This gives Apple a formidable competitive advantage in this profitable entertainment segment.  Apple games are one of the best entertainment apps in the market.  Just ask any game enthusiast.  You can also enjoy your favorite music and photographs using Apple’s apps ordered through iTunes or Apple Apps Store—many of them free.

If you want to use the iPad as a serious productivity tool, there are plenty apps that serve this specific need.  A popular productivity app for the Ipad is Cloud On, version 3.0.0 free of charge, designed both for the iPad and the iPhone.  Cloud On brings Microsoft Office programs, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint, to your iPad.  It plays well with cloud storage providers such as Box, Dropbox and Google Drive, allowing you to open, rename and delete files stores on those services.  It also includes Adobe Reader and a file viewer for opening popular file formats, including PDF, JPG, PNG and GIF.

Cloud On has its own competitors, of course, including Online Desktop Desktop, a virtual Windows desktop for the iPad, which also includes Windows 7-based versions of MS Offices’s big three apps, (e.g., PowerPoint, Word and Excel).

When I acquired my iPad in July 2012, I was planning to use it on several number crunching projects at a local sugar mill.  At that time I was doing some consulting work for this client.  Thus I bought a Zagg Bluetooth keyboard dock which I paired with my Third Generation iPad.  It was an excellent decision.

Yesterday I downloaded and installed Google Drive, also known as Google Docs, and it worked flawlessly.  I also have this application in my HP Pavilion desktop and my Sony Vaio laptop.  Since Google Drive is a cloud application, any modifications I make in my Google Drive’s files, it will automatically show up anywhere I am.  This is great when you’re working on the road, which was my case at the sugar mill.

At this moment, I’m using the following apps in my iPad; I’m not in a hurry to load the device with unnecessary applications I will never use:

1. Netflix: (Entertainment – Movies)
2. Calcul8: (Productivity – Calculator)
3. Kindle: (Entertainment – Reading Books)
4. YouTube: (Entertainment – Movies and Videos)
5. Photobucket: (Entertainment – Photographs)
6. TuneIn Radio: (Entertainment – Internet Radio Stations)
7. Google Drive or Google Docs: (Productivity – Word Processing, Presentations and Number Crunching)
8. Cloud On: (Productivity – Microsoft Office Productivity Tools and others)

Below are several pictures of my iPad depicting the apps listed above:

Snapshot of my iPad with several office accessories, including my old Chinese clone cellphone towards your left. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Snapshot of my iPad (Third Generation) paired with a Logitech-Zagg Bluetooth keyboard dock. As you can see, it’s a full-fledged small laptop, suitable for serious business work. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Snapshot of the iPad’s screen showing several apps. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

These are two apps I use heavily. The first one is Photobucket where I store my photographs on the Cloud, and the second one is a handy digital calculator with several useful financial features. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

YouTube is the most comprehensive encyclopedia of videos out there. The amount of visual information you can find here is absolutely amazing. I enjoy YouTube’s videos almost every day. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

The Apple’s iPad is an impressive machine which can be customized to suit your taste and preferences.  The availability of more than 275,000 apps adds to the usability of this device.  The correct answer to the question of this post is that this iPad is both an entertainment gadget and a productivity tool.    Good Day.

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The Underlying Trends in Personal Computing

Snapshot of my Sony Vaio laptop with an Intel Core i5-2450M CPUC 2.50 GHz processor, 4.0 GB RAM and Intel HD Graphics Family. Operating system, MS Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit SP1. It’s a traditional workhorse laptop for heavy-duty performance. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

When I purchased a full-fleshed laptop in July of 2012, I thought I was making a good Deal.  For $899.97 I acquired a traditional heavy-duty machine which would be my spare computing tool if my main HP desktop would go sour.  There were subtle indications that the loyal beast would die anytime soon and I needed a Plan B to keep up my blogging activities without any interruptions.  So far the old PC is still purring like a kitten which is good news, but I feel relieved with a safety net on my desktop.

At the time of the purchase, I wasn’t aware that dramatic changes were happening under the surface.  The computer industry was experiencing what is known in Business Administration, as a Strategic Inflection Point.  By definition, a Strategic Inflection Point is the time of transition of a company’s competitive position that requires the company to change the current path and adapt to the new situation or risk declining profits.

An inflection point can be considered a turning point after which a dramatic change, with either positive or negative results, is expected to result. Companies, industries, sectors and economies are dynamic and constantly evolving. Inflection points are more significant than the small day-to-day progress made and the effects of the change are often well-known and widespread.

Andy Grove, Intel’s co-founder, described a strategic inflection point as “an event that changes the way we think and act.” Inflection points can be a result of action taken by a company, or through actions taken by another entity, that has a direct impact on the company.

If you have followed the latest computing trends, you probably know that PC demand growth has waned over the past year as more consumers flock to ultraportable and increasingly powerful tablets and smartphones for basic computing.  Hewlett-Packard, Dell and other stalwarts of the PC industry are now fighting tooth and nail to sustain growth as tablet computers eat into their PC-related business.

The inflection point is the change of computing habits by consumers.  PCs are being replaced by touch screen devices such as Windows 8 convertibles, detachables, touch-screen laptops or just plain tablets.  The computing scenario is changing into a PC Plus world even as we speak.

Convertibles have swivel touch screens that can not be detached from the unit.  The processor and related electronics are under the keyboard, so these systems will have a better performance because the design affords more opportunity to keep the processor cool.

Detachables are essentially tablets with well-integrated keyboard docks.  Detachables put the processor electronics behind the screen. This usually forces PC makers to use a low-performance, more power efficient chip like Intel’s “Clover Trail” Atom.

Touch-screen laptops are traditional clamshell laptops with a touch screen.  They are beginning to emerge in the marketplace.  Maybe by this time next year, the abundance of laptops on display at your local electronic shop will have touch screens.

Plain tablets are devices that are marketed as standalone units.  Tablets that can run the full version of Windows 8 and Windows RT will offer a good battery life and a lightweight, slim design but won’t be very fast.  That is, don’t expect them to multitask Microsoft Office, Photoshop and other demanding application without bringing the device to its knees.  Compared to notebooks, tablets are still maturing in terms of computing power and functionality for business and home use.

I will expand on this subject in the near future.  If you have followed my blog posts, you already know that I own a third generation (Retina Display) Apple iPad paired with a Bluetooth keyboard. Productivity is my immediate goal.

Most pundits agree that touchscreens are coming and they’re coming fast.  Holiday season shoppers shunned Windows 8 desktops and notebooks in favor of tablets and smartphones, resulting in a 4.3 percent fall in PC sales in the fourth quarter, research firm Gartner said recently.

Worldwide PC shipments declined 90.3 million units in the last three months of 2012 due to a shift in consumer habits as much as a weak global economy.  “Tablets have dramatically changed the device landscape for PCs, not so much by ‘cannibalizing’ PC sales, but by causing PC users to shift consumption to tablets rather than replacing older PCs,” said Mikako Kitagawa, principal analyst at Gartner.

In July 2012, I thought I was buying the best laptop in the market with all the bells and whistles—I was wrong.  The laptop was already old inside the box.  The future lies in touch screen computers, tablets and smart phones, which are more than just phones.  They are really powerful computers that also make phone calls.  Good Day.

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The Dream Machine

Photograph of Apple’s iMac desktop computer which recently was upgraded to keep it fresh and attractive to its loyal zealots. Credit: Apple Inc.

In 1983, many years ago, a lifetime ago, I purchased my first personal computer.  It was an Apple II-e.  That was the year I started dipping my toes into computers and software.  Since then, a lot of water has flowed under the bridge.

After squeezing its juice for several years, I sold it to a friend of mine who wanted to teach computing to her young children.  It also served them well, until finally the poor darling, went the way of the Dodo into the dustbin of history.

After my separation from my Apple personal computer, I switched to Windows and have used this operating system until last year when I purchased another Apple device—an Apple iPad.  It wasn’t that I really needed it to do my stuff.  In fact, I bought it out of peer pressure and curiosity.  Everywhere I read, the juggernaut was there and people had smiling faces with the device in their hands.  I said to myself, “Omar, you have to join the group; you can’t miss all this fun”  And I did.

To make a long story short, I’m very satisfied with my iPad (third generation with Retina Display).  I’m so happy with it, that I am seriously considering replacing my present Hewlett Packard desktop computer with an Apple iMac when it goes sour in the near future.

My HP desktop, running Windows XP, has accomplished an extraordinary work and I’m very happy with it.  The thing is that the machine is seven years old, and counting.  It was delivered on March 19, 2005.  At any time, it will say “No más, no más”, and that will be the end of its life.  It that happens, I can always depend on a Sony Vaio laptop and my Apple iPad, but they won’t do the trick for my blogging needs.  I feel I need another desktop, and that dream machine at this moment is an Apple iMac.

Apple’s iMac main specifications are:

• Hard Disk Drive:  One terabyte (5400-rpm)
• Graphics:  NVIDIA GeForce, GT 640M graphics processor with 512MB of GDDR5 memory
• Processor:  2.7GHz, 2.7GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor (Turbo Boost up to 3.2GHz) with 6MB L3 cache
• Memory:  8GB (two 4GB) of 1600MHz DDR3 memory (Configurable to 16GB)
• Display: 21.5-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology; 1920-by-1080 resolution with support for millions of colors
• Video Support and Camera:  FaceTime HD camera.  Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display and up to a 30-inch display (2560 by 1600 pixels) on an external display.  Support for extended desktop and video mirroring modes. Support for Target Display Mode via the Thunderbolt port using a Thunderbolt to Thunderbolt cable (sold separately)
• Size and Weight:  Height: 17.7 inches (45.0 cm), Width: 20.8 inches (52.8 cm), Stand depth: 6.9 inches (17.5 cm), Weight: 12.5 pounds (5.68 kg)3
• In the Box:  iMac, Apple Wireless Keyboard, Apple Magic Mouse, Power cord
• Price:  $1,299.00

This machine is not yet in Panama, but I’ll assure you it will soon be.  At the moment I don’t have the money, but I already have a specific savings account specially allocate funds for this purchase planned for December 2013.  The next step is to get myself an Apple iPhone, but that another story for another time.  For the time being, my Chinese cellphone is working just fine.  As a matter of fact, it looks very much like an iPhone; I mean, the first model that reached the market several years ago.  If you have followed my blog posts, you already know how it looks like and how much I paid for it.

That’s it folks.  After three decades, I’ve returned to my computing roots and embraced the Apple ecosystem again.  It has been a happy reunion.  And now you know the machine of my dreams.  I’m counting the days.  Good Day.

Source:  Apple Store Online – iMac’s Technical Specifications

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A Laptop Gone Sour

Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Last July I acquired a laptop as a business tool for several consulting projects I was doing for a local sugar mill.  I needed a laptop for my follow-up meetings and keeping all my information in one place, without having to store hundreds of papers in my home office.

After researching on the Internet for zillion of options, I finally decided on a Sony Vaio 14″ laptop of the Series E14P, Model 14A15FLB.  It’s a powerful and aesthetic electronic device.

After a few months, the customer decided to hire an in-house Comptroller, so the consulting work dried up.  Since then, I used the laptop mainly to surf the web and stream movies from Netflix.  The screen resolution was awesome and the quality of the movies was up to par.  Unfortunately, after a week or so, the computer started to act erratically.  In the middle of a movie, I would get this blue screen of death indicating that something was wrong with the operating system.  The exact message on the screen was, “A problem has been detected and Windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer.  Attempt to reset the display driver and recover from timeout failed.”  Another message was, “The ATI display driver has ceased to work correctly.”

Initially I thought the problem was at Netflix’s end, since something similar had happened with my old HP desktop.  I kept on using the laptop until I got three Windows’ blue screens of death in one day and then I knew for sure that the machine had a problem.  Since I was still covered by a service and parts guarantee of one year, I wrapped it up and drove over to Sony’s place to have it fixed.  That was on the morning of December 11, 2012.

Sony’s facilities in Panama City are very modern and comfortable, and their employees are extremely efficient and polite.  Sony operates in Panama for customer support as Grupo Proessa (www.proessa.net).

The laptop was returned on the morning of December 20, 2012, neatly wrapped in a plastic cover to protect it.  I received a document indicating that the faulty motherboard had been replaced with a new one and the bios data had been configured.  The repaired computer was guaranteed for three month, on top of the yearly guarantee that expires on July 7, 2013.

The reason I buy products in Panama instead of acquiring them from the States, is because I want to be fully covered by a local guarantee.  In this case Sony repaired the laptop free of charge.  Today I’ll be testing it, to make sure that it’s working properly.

This is the first time I’ve had a problem with a new computer.  They usually work well for several years before they fall apart and follow the Dodo into the dustbin of history.  Next time you buy a new product, make sure it’s fully covered with a reasonable guarantee.  Good Day.

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Apple Releases a Smaller iPad Into the Wild

Credit: http://www.mashable.com

After keeping the consumer electronics world on its toes for months, Apple finally announced a new gadget to its remarkable line of products.  It was no secret, so the event didn’t have that veil of mysteriousness that Steve Jobs used to exhibit during his legendary and dazzling product announcements.

Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, announced yesterday the iPad mini, the highly anticipated pint-sized version of its popular tablet.  The 7.9 inch Mini marks the iPhone-maker’s first foray into the smaller-tablet segment. Apple hopes to beat back incursions onto its home turf of consumer electronics hardware, while safeguarding its lead in a larger tablet space—one that even deep-pocketed rivals like Samsung Electronics have found tough to penetrate.  The new tablet essentially has most of the functions and features of the full-size iPad but in a smaller package.

Apple is asking $329 for a Wi-Fi only model, which is a little costlier than some predicted, but some analysts see that as a bid to retain premium pricing levels.  The Kindle Fire from Amazon and the Nexus 7 from Google have grabbed a chunk of the lower end of the tablet market and proved demand for a pocket-sized slate exists. Those companies’ tablets—the most successful other than Apple’s—have forced Apple into a space it has avoided and at times derided, analysts say.  Surveys conducted ahead of Tuesday’s news suggested some consumers had hoped for a more affordable Apple mini tablet.

Apple’s iPad mini comes with a 7.9-inch screen that weighs half as much as the larger iPad, which it resembles. The iPad mini has two cameras, a dual-core A5 processor and 10-hour battery life. It comes in both Wi-Fi only versions and models with LTE wireless connectivity.

Apple said pricing for the iPad mini would start at $329 for a version with 16GB of memory and Wi-Fi only wireless, which would price it above some rival tablets of similar size. It will be available starting November 2, just in time for the holidays.

The iPad Mini starts at $329, well above the $159 starting price for Amazon.com Inc.’s Kindle Fire and $199 for Google Inc.’s Nexus 7. Both have 7-inch screens. The Mini will be just $70 cheaper than the 2011 iPad 2, which is still available.

Unlike its rivals, Apple will make a version of the iPad Mini that can access cellular networks from AT&T, Verizon and Sprint. That version will start at $459, compared with $629 for the full-sized cellular model.

Apple is also refreshing its full-sized iPad, giving it a faster processor and faster Wi-Fi capabilities. It will go on sale next week as well.  Apple also updated its iMac line. Some versions will sport a hybrid storage drive that combines the speed of flash memory and the capacity of regular hard drives. They will go on sale in December.

If you like to follow product specifications, I have good news for you.  Below are the basic specs for the small gadget.  Here we go:

• Screen Size:  7.9 inches
• Resolution:  1024 x 768
• Pixel Density:  163 ppi
• Weight:  10.88 ounces
• Dimensions (WxHxD):  7.8 x 5.3 x .28 inches
• CPU:  Dual-core Apple A5
• Storage:  16GB, 32GB or 64GB, no card slot
• Operating System:  OS 6
• Battery:  10 hours
• Camera:  5MP rear, 1.2MP front
• Networking:  Dual-band Wi-Fi, LTE
• Price:  $329/$459 for 16GB, $429/$559 for 32GB, $529/$659 for 64GB; available November 2nd

I don’t have any interest for this smaller Apple tablet.  I recently purchased a third generation iPad which I’m still learning how to use and exploring new apps for the gadget.  So far, I’m enjoying Netflix movies, reading my e-mail messages, and reading Kindle books.  I know there are still a truckload of stuff I can do with this baby, but I’m in no hurry.

My first tablet was the Amazon Kindle Fire.  I was very excited with this acquisition due to the wonderful reviews on the Internet, and of course, its irresistible price—$199.00.  However, I was deeply disappointed when I learned I couldn’t buy apps from Amazon’s store nor could I stream movies from Amazon’s Prime Instant Video—unlimited, instant streaming of thousands of popular movies and TV shows.  I was also restricted from acquiring over 22 million movies, TV shows, songs, magazines, books, audiobooks, and popular apps and games such as Facebook, Netflix, Twitter, HBO GO, Pandora, and Angry Birds Space. 

When I learned all of the above was reserved for people living in the continental United States, I felt scammed by Amazon.  They didn’t said anything about this restriction on their Web page.  I only use the Kindle Fire to read electronic books and occasionally surf the web, although its too cumbersome to do so, due to its size.  But can’t complain much.  It’s no use crying over spilled milk.

I have some reservations about the success of the iPad mini due to its steep price—$329 starting price.  But with Apple products you never know.  People are infatuated with their products and will buy them no matter what.  The Apple brand is mesmerizing.  Will wait and see how it’s received by the market.  Good Day.

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Rumors of an Apple iPad Mini

Credit: Y! Tech.com

There’s a strong rumor on the Internet that Apple is preparing the launch of a smaller iPad sometime in October, just in time for the year’s end holidays.  Speculations are that the name of the new gadget is the iPad Mini.  Apple is aiming at the lucrative market of small tablets where Amazon and Barnes & Nobles are having a huge success.  As the Amazon Kindle Fire steals the budget tablet show and with more small, cheap tablets coming all the time, such as the Google Nexus 7, Apple may well want a piece of the action.

The latest sign comes from the Wall Street Journal, which reports that an iPad with a 7.85-inch display is in mass production even as we speak.  The smaller iPad would likely have the same screen resolution and aspect ratio as the original iPad, at 1024-by-768, which means it should support all existing iPad apps.

The smaller iPad would likely be wider and slightly taller than the competition, but its display wouldn’t be as sharp.  be about the same as the A5X chip in the new iPad, but without the extra graphics punch needed for a Retina display. There’s some speculation that the smaller iPad would have 512 MB of RAM, just like the iPad 2.

It’s highly expected the new iPad Mini will run iOS 6. It’ll have the App Store, movies and music from iTunes, and iBooks. This would be the least surprising element of the iPad Mini, but also its strongest selling point compared to other tablets, whose tablet app selections are smaller.

Pundits are betting that the estimated price is somewhere around $300 for a basic model, which makes for a $100 step down from the full-sized iPad 2. That leaves some breathing room for cheaper competition, but allows Apple to grab some of the market while maintaining a healthy profit.

The rumor mill is saying that Apple may send out press conference invites on October 10, make the announcement on October 17 and launch the product on November 2. If mini iPads are in production now, they’ll surely be ready to roll this holiday season.  That sounds very reasonable if you ask me.  December is the month where businesses either sink or swim, if you know what I mean.

News has broken suggesting that Foxconn, the only manufacturer of iPads, has lost between 50 and 60 percent of iPad Mini production to Chinese manufacturer Pegatron. This could signal production of the pint-sized tablet getting stepped up as Apple looks to launch the device in October or November.

I would love to see a new iPad Mini come to market, since it would certainly give Amazon and other competitors a run for their money plus it would be intriguing to see what Apple would do with the smaller format.  I’m disappointed that Amazon restricted content for the Kindle Fire for residents outside of the U.S., this illogical policy made a lot of customers living abroad less eager to buy the gadget.  It it weren’t for this problem, Amazon would be a strong contender to the new Apple iPad Mini.  Perhaps we could be on the verge of an opening of Amazon’s policy and could enjoy the goodies of the American market.

Since I don’t have a crystal ball, I’ll just have to wait and see what happens.  Adieux.

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Apple Continues The Evolution of the iPhone

Credit: Apple Inc.

After an intense exchange of rumors on the Web, yesterday Apple finally unveiled it’s latest iPhone.  They called it the iPhone 5 which is a name everyone will accept.  What Tim Cook and his elves displayed, was not a revolutionary device, it was more an evolution of its predecessors.

These are the salient characteristics of the latest Apple smartphone:

• Larger Screen:  The body of the iPhone 5 has been elongated, adding about a quarter inch to the screen height without changing the width.  While the body is longer, the iPhone 5 is 18 percent thinner than the iPhone 4S — and 20 percent lighter.
• Faster Processor:  The iPhone now has a faster processor than even the new iPad. According to Apple, the new A6 processor will result in applications loading twice as fast, graphics running smoother and photos capturing 40 percent faster.
• Smaller Camera:  The camera has gotten 25 percent smaller, has better low light processing, and can produce panoramic images.  Apple’s video conferencing app, Facetime, will now transmit HD video, and Facetime can be enabled over cellular networks and WiFi alike.
• Battery Life:  the battery life of the phone will remain consistent if not a little better (10 percent improvement overall) than battery life on past iPhones. They claim 8 hours of talk time, 225 hours of stand-by, and 8 hours of LTE web browsing.
• Smaller Dock Connector:  Apple has introduced an 80 percent smaller connector they are calling Lightning that can be plugged into the phone in any direction, offers faster data transfer, and better durability. But given the $3 billion a year accessory market for iPhones and iPads, this switch will be painful and costly as users are forced to buy extra charging cables, docking speakers/alarm clocks or cases.  Apple will be selling adapters for $29 that will ship in October.
• Price:  The new smartphone will come in black and white with a new, brushed metal back. It will be available for pre-order September 14^th and in stores September 21^st. The 16GB model will retail for $199, 32GB for $299, 64GB for $399. The iPhone 4S goes down in price to $99 and the iPhone 4 slides down to zero—nada.  Initial countries where the iPhone 5 will be available: United States, Canada, UK, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Germany, France, and Australia.  Availability in more countries by the end of the year.

Is the new iPhone worth your hard-earned dollars? I don’t have the answer to this question, but I’m sure you will.  Many will wait in line on a freezing evening to put their paws on the latest iPhone, while others will just yawn and continue their sleep.  As far as I’m concerned, I’ll keep using my ole Chinese Apple clone smartphone.  Good Day.

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Adding Portability to My Number Crunching Activities

In strange turn of events, I was contacted by the son of the previous owner of a large sugar mill where I worked as a Comptroller for three years when it was under the control of Bank of America.  His father had passed away and he was head hunting for a business consultant to help him in organizing several of his companies.

His father had recommended me, so he started searching for my whereabouts for several months unsuccessfully, until one day his secretary found my name on Facebook and contact was made.

We met, exchanged ideas, and finally agreed on a consulting agreement for a short period.  I’m feeling better from my dizzy spells and thought it would be nice to be useful again, plus extra pocket-money is always good news.  For about a month, I’ve met with his staff, setting up working schedules, and organizing investment projects.  It reminded me when I was 33 years old, full of life and dreams.

Since I had donated all my suits and ties to the church after I retired, my wife is helping me buying new business clothes.  In Panama people are very conscious of wearing formal clothes for business meetings—suit and tie.  I also needed a laptop for my follow-up meetings and keeping all my information in one place, without having to store hundreds of papers in my home office.

After researching on the Internet for zillion of options, I finally decided on a Sony Vaio 14″ laptop of the Series E14P, Model 14A15FLB.  It’s a powerful and aesthetic electronic device.  I unpacked it yesterday afternoon, and took several pictures during the process to share with you guys.  If you’re a techie, you might want to take a look at the following specs and pictures.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS:

• Weight:   5 pounds.  (A bit heavy for my taste.)
• Screen:  14 inches (1,366 x 768 pixels), Backlight LED technology
• Battery:  Up to six hours of use with standard battery
• Processor:  Intel Core i5-2450M, 2.50 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 3.10 GHz, Intel HM76 Express
• Operating System:  Windows 7 Home Premium Original, 64 bits
• Hard Disk Drive:  640 GB (speed 5,400 rpm)
• Internal Memory:  4 GB DDR3 SDRAM expandable up to 16 GB (speed 1,600 MT/s)
• Video Card:  Intel HD Graphics 3000, External:  AMD Radeon HD 7570M, 512 MB.
• Optical Unit:  Player & Recorder DVD
• Audio:  Dolby Home Theater V4
• Wireless Network:  Bluetooth standard version 4.0 IEEE 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi
• Webcam:  HD, resolution 1,290 x 1,024 1.31 MP
• Dimensions:  Width:  13.4 inches, Thick:  0.88-1.31 inches, Height:  9.6 inches
• Color:  Black with red borders
• Guarantee:  One year
• Inside the Box:  One notebook sleeve with pockets, one keyboard skin, one lithium rechargeable battery, one power cable with adapter.

TOTAL COSTS:

• Cost of Sony Vaio laptop:  $899.97
• Cost of wireless Logitec mouse:  $29.97
• Sales Tax (ITBMS – 7%):  $65.10
• Total Costs:  $995.04

PHOTO GALLERY:

Snapshot of the Sony Vaio unopened box storing the portable computer. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Snapshot of the partially open box containing the recently acquired Sony Vaio laptop. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Snapshot of the laptop’s notebook sleeve with pockets. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Snapshot of the cover of the Sony Vaio laptop. The red shade is a reflection of my sweater. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Snapshot of the open laptop with it’s jet black color with thin red borders. The screen has aluminum frames. Very stylish piece of equipment. I liked as soon as I saw it. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Snapshot of the attractive backlit keyboard with the aesthetic red linings which glow in the dark. I love it.

Snapshot of the input for the power supply cable indicating a voltage of 19.5 volts. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Photograph of the USB ports. It has four of them; two on each side. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Snapshot of one of the two speakers of the portable computer. I want to try its fidelity as soon as possible. It has a Dolby home theater audio system. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Labels indicating the laptop runs on Windows 7 Home Premium and has a powerful Intel Core i5 processor inside. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Snapshot of a special Web button to activate the Internet without turning on the computer. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Snapshot of the arrow keys, (e.g., Up, Down, Right and Left). Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Snapshot of an attractive red keyboard skin that perfectly molds to the Vaio isolation keyboard. The backlit function of the keyboard is not available when the keyboard skin is attached to the device. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

Snapshot of the enticing red wireless mouse which matches with the color of the laptop. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.

With this baby I’m ready to return to work like the “good ole days”, plus I have a backup computer when the main one goes sour.  It has happened before several times.  After all it’s seven years old and the wear and tear is showing its ugly face.  Good Day.

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