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 Through the years, when Apple released a new version their iPhone, there would always be certain complaints about it. No matter how much people liked the phone, they would complain about one feature that they would consider crucial. For a long time the feature that everybody wanted but was missing from the phone was a copy and paste button. People were upset about this and they constantly complained about it, until finally Apple caved in and gave their customers what they wanted. Now the same thing has happened once again, this time with a feature that most of the other smart phones provide. This is the ability to multi-task their applications while they use the phone.
It occurs to me that some people may not know what that term multitasking means. It is simply the act of being able to use more than one application at a time while on the phone. On earlier versions of the phone, the only time you could multi-task an application was if one of them was an Apple application. Apple let their applications have multi-tasking capabilities while third party software on the phone did not. Now with the iPhone 4.0, this is no longer the case. Now up to seven applications can be used on the phone at one time. This is still less than the other phones on the market but Apple were worried about the efficiency of the applications as well.
The reason why Apple held back so long in allowing third party applications to have the ability to multi-task was because they were worried about the phone crashing all of the time. If you have ever seen a jail broken iPhone then you know that the phone already had the ability to multi-task, Apple just disabled it. Some people may wonder why that is. It is because in the phone, there is a limited amount of space in the memory so too many applications may cause the phone’s operating system to crash. Apple finally decided that they could work out a way where they could keep the phone from crashing all of the time. The solution was the one we talked about earlier, and that was letting seven applications run at once. Seven is mostly likely the most applications that any user would use at once anyway. Sure there are some power users that would probably use more at one time but for most people who use the phone, seven would be more than enough.
Sometimes it does not seem as if Apple is listening to their customer base when they really are. They knew that people wanted the multitasking features that they saw on other phones to be on the iPhone. But they knew that they had to get it right. It seems like the way that they implemented it will more than likely be the right way.
 For years, the iPhone was the highest ranking phone on the market. It was in second place compared to the longstanding Blackberry as far as units sold. But in terms of innovation, it was first. Now there is a new competitor in the mix trying to tackle the technological dominance of the IPhone. This competitor is known as the Android and it is being brought to you by Google.
Long ago, Google saw the play that Apple was making when it came to smart phones. Google knew that if Apple was able to gain control of the smart phone market, they would have a dominant foothold when it came to internet usage. While BlackBerry’s are a leader in the marketplace, their phones are not built for easy internet browsing. Only their latest models have taken the internet into consideration when it came to their design. It was the iPhone that made using the internet on a cell phone very attractive. Google created the Android to challenge that domination.
When Google’s first version of Android came out, it landed with a gigantic thud. But now there is a different narrative going on. The newest Android phones are able to compete respectably with the IPhone 3G. This is especially true for the last 4 or 5 phones that other manufacturers have brought out with Google’s operating system inside. In the past Apple was able to say that their phones were technologically superior, but now they can barely hold on to that claim. The other companies offer features on their newer phones such as more power and multi task usage. These are features that the IPhones out now just do not have. Apple has admitted this and they are hoping to spread the distance between them and their competitors once more with the introduction of the IPhone 4.0.
The new IPhone 4.0 has many features that should be able to expand the distance once again between it and the Google based phones. Some of the features are playing catch up to ones that are already offered on the Android operating system such as multi tasking. Other features are Apple going above and beyond what is being offered on the smart phone market right now. These newer features include the social gaming network that Apple is offering and something else that is sure to lure more developers in. Apple is releasing iAds in their next version of the IPhone. This is new feature will allow developers to have another way to make money with their applications. They can offer ads that are served up by Apple and split the proceeds with Apple themselves. No more having to use third party ad companies. A feature like this will pull a lot more developers into their program.
Right now, the IPhone that is out now is probably neck and neck with some of the latest Android phones that are out in the market. When the IPhone 4.0 is released, they will be blowing away the competition once again.
 Whether or not we want to admit it, the iPhone has been the main device that sparked the smart phone revolution. No, it was not the first in the field and it is still not the market sales leader when it comes to smart phones. But it is the one that led the way as far as innovation in the field. Blackberry’s, while good for people in business, were not capturing the imagination of the everyday person. Most people knew that they were powerful but they could not see why they needed one. But when the iPhone came along, they suddenly were able to see how such a powerful device could be of use to them. It was the same thing in the early 80’s for people and home computers. They were for the most part rejected until they were shown how they could use the computer to help their everyday lives. Now that the iPhone has reached the 4.0 mark can it still be the innovation leader that it has been in the last couple of years?
We ask this question because there are a slew of new competitors in the field. Where once the smart phone market was seen as secondary and was sparsely populated, it is now overcrowded with contenders that are coming after Apple’s throne. Already at this point, it can be argued that there are phones on the market right now that are more innovative than the iPhone 3GS. The new Android phones are the first ones that come to mind. But with the iPhone 4.0, Apple has added a bunch of new technology that should easily catapult the new version of the iPhone back to the top of the mountain again.
One of the biggest new features on the upcoming iPhone is that it now has the ability to use multi-tasking features on the phone. Now instead of having to close a program to use another one, you can have both of the programs running at the same time. The phone also has the new iBook app. You now can use the iPhone with Apple approved dedicated reading software. This means that you have an eBook reader that is embedded on the phone and you can also purchase books straight from the iTunes store. Another feature that the new iPhone will introduce is a social gaming component. They are trying to create a gaming community just like XBox Live but only for the cell phone. Games are one of the most purchased applications on the iPhone and a feature like this will only serve to enhance that. A feature like this is just perfect for iPhone owners.
With the new features of the iPhone 4.0, there is no doubt that it will be king of the mountain once again when it comes to the smart phone market. Apple is known as being an innovative company and it is that innovation that will help them get to the top once again.
Google’s Nexus One is one of the latest challengers to iPhone domination. This could be the opening salvo of a protracted war between Apple and Google. Observers say that both devices are well outfitted with applications and share great potential for future development. They are noticeably similar in many ways, but let’s dig a little deeper and see what we find.
The Nexus and the iPhone do look alike. They also share certain software design and compatibility principles. The thinking behind both devices is an attempt at market control. In other words, they don’t play well with others. Nexus, like the iPhone, is designed to work with one carrier and one operating system.
What about differences? One glaring difference is in the area of video frame rates. If you want smooth video, you have to increase the number of frames per second. Apple’s iPhone 3GS can achieve 60fps (frames per second), while the Nexus One runs at little better than half that rate.
There are differences in hardware specs and capacity also. The iPhone 3GS has four times more storage capacity than the Nexus One (16Gb compared to 4Gb). Although both devices run applications that extend their capabilities, the iPhone can access more than 93,000 apps from iTunes, compared to 20,000 available for Nexus at the Android market.
So far, the Nexus One seems to be lacking. However, Google’s phone battery can best the iPhone’s power curve, lasting up to two hours longer. The Nexus One also sports a 5 megapixel camera. Compare that to 3 megapixels for the iPhone (although let’s not talk about video editing, because the Nexus can’t do that). However, the Nexus can multitask. The inability of the iPhone to do more than one thing at a time is an enduring criticism of Apple’s shining star.
So after a quick comparison, there isn’t a clear winner. So once again we are reduced to fan base. Some people just love Apple and others will choose anything but. Fortunately, as these two giants race to best each other in the communications market, the consumer can look forward to better phones and better prices.
Apple recently introduced their latest high-tech gadget, the iPad. Although Apple fans dutifully lined up in droves to get theirs first, many tech reviewers weren’t so impressed with what they considered to be a puffed-up iPod Touch. However, with the recent wave of e-readers yet to crest, many see the iPad as a Kindle-killer. The print industry may very well see the iPad as their knight in shining armor, riding an Apple-white horse.
Granted, the main difference between this first iPad and the iPod touch really comes down to the screen. The specs and available software are pretty much the same. Screen size is obviously different; the strange thing is that people can’t seem to decide if it’s a positive or a negative. On the plus side, everything on the iPad is easier to see. This is especially true when used as an e-reader. The Touch could read too, but the screen was definitely a handicap. The newly-sized screen plus a few new iWork applications make the iPad a serious draw for both readers and business types.
On the minus side, the iPad won’t fit into your pocket (unless of course you’re wearing clown pants). Detractors say this makes the iPad less mobile and therefore less usable. Instead of tucking your device safely away in your clothes, you’ll have to carry it separately.
After size, it’s difficult to find many more differences between the iPad and the iPod Touch. The same applications will run on both devices, thanks to the use of identical operating systems. Surprisingly, the first iPads are unable to multitask, something that the iPod Touch has already achieved. Of course, anyone not born yesterday is already expecting major revisions and new iPad releases.
So the question for now is whether the market can sustain both the iPad and the iPod Touch. Apple seems to be squarely behind its new device. Only time will tell whether or not the consumer will join them.
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