Jul

12

The launch of Apple’s iPhone / iPod touch App Store appears to have been a great success. Apple managed to pull in several well known Mac, Palm, and game developers to contribute to the over 500 available applications at launch. Already there is an application to meet nearly every need, and with the majority of remaining developers being accepted into the developer program, I’m sure there will be more great applications in the coming days and weeks.

While the App Store and applications have been a huge hit, playing around with applications over the past two days has filled me with some worries. Worries that Apple will need to address if they want the iPhone to succeed as a platform.


Application Data

After trying out several applications yesterday, a major flaw in the way application data is stored became apparent. Application data (preferences, files, saved data such as games) are all stored directly linked with the application that created them. Therefore, if an application is uninstalled, everything that application ever created is cleaned up and throw into the ether. Sounds like a great way to make sure the iPhone stays uncluttered, no? Well it is, but keeping the iPhone clutter free brings problems.

Due to the nature of the application / data relationship, if an application is removed from the iPhone unintentionally, everything that application ever stored is removed permanently. Let me give you an example.

While messing with iTunes’ settings yesterday, I changed my iPod touch’s Application syncing preference to selective applications only. I forgot to select a few applications, and they were removed from my iPod touch the second I clicked apply. No big deal, right? I reselected the applications, and they appeared on my iPod touch with one exception - they were reset to their default settings and no longer contained my saved data. Thankfully, I only lost my Facebook login settings, my Flickr login settings, and my level 8 save game of Enigmo, but the results could have been much worse.

Looking at the list of applications currently available in the App Store, I would say 95% of applications would be fine with their data reset. Users would only loose some display settings, maybe a login or two, and that would be all. However, as the platform matures, more applications (and their users) will become reliant on stored data. Imagine finding out a year’s worth of mileage logs disappeared during your last iPhone’s restore. That could be a disaster.

Syncing

Part of this problem is due to the application / data relationship, but the bigger issue is the lack of a standardized syncing method in the iPhone OS. I would have no problem loosing data after a restore if that data could easily be added back, but at the moment there is no way to restore application data (yes, I’m aware iTunes currently stores a backup, but that is only of the most reason sync, and is no help if a single application looses its data).

Currently all of the native iPhone applications, with the exception of Notes and SMS, sync through an application that manages the iPhone’s stored data. Calendar items sync with iCal, addresses sync with Address Book, and so on. However, third-party applications are left to fend for themselves. Some application developers have cleverly worked around this by utilizing “the cloud” (great example is OmniFocus’ WebDAV sync), but applications without desktop counterparts are left stranded.

How to Trust the iPhone Platform

If Apple wants the iPhone platform to be trusted among businesses and consumers, they need to address these issues. Start backing up application data separate from the application itself. So, when the application is reinstalled, the data can be restored as well. With simple changes such as this, the iPhone will not only be the most innovate mobile platform today, the iPhone can become the most trusted platform as well.

Jun

15

Alright, that is a sensationalist title, but I needed a strong title to show my hypocrisy. Today, I have made the switch from Safari 3 to Firefox 3. I have realized despite the numerous advantages Safari has with direct operating system integration, Firefox still wins out feature-wise. To help make my decision, I made several lists of the advantages and disadvantages that matter to me. Below are those lists.


Advantages of Safari

Disadvantages of Safari

Advantages of Firefox

Disadvantages of Firefox

Looking over the lists, Safari’s advantages are mostly in the interface, while the disadvantages can quickly become show stoppers. For Firefox, the advantages are in the features, while the disadvantages are only minor quibbles. When you enumerate the features, Firefox wins hands down - at least for me.

So, my final ruling is Firefox wins this browser round. If Safari 4 can manage to fix the Flash freezes and remember cookies, Safari has a good chance of winning round 4. Until then, Firefox will remain my browser of choice.

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Apr

5

Last night I stumbled on a very well thought out article by John Gruber of Daring Fireball. John Gruber presented the argument that while Firefox 3’s Mac interface is an improvement from previous versions, Firefox is still faking the Mac experience.

I have to agree with John whole-heartily on this issue. Firefox 3 is generic cereal; while it may look like the name-brand cereal, the taste is horribly off. Firefox belongs on Windows, and I don’t think Mozilla can ever hide that fact.


Why Even Use Firefox?

That got me thinking, why should anyone use Firefox on the Mac? I mean, Safari is quite an amazing browser for being the default Mac browser. Safari has a mind-blowing user interface, is completely standards compliant (arguably better than Firefox), loads blazingly fast, and even includes some kick-ass web developer tools. Well, I think I have an answer: no one cares about that stuff.

The Voices in My Head

People have been trained over the years to despise Internet Explorer and embrace Firefox. I don’t think most people even know why they hate Internet Explorer; they’ve just been told by some geek in their life that Firefox is better and they should use that. When they make the switch to Mac, that sub-conscience kicks in and they feel the need to use Firefox.

Yesterday, my brother approached me and told me he hated Macs. Baffled by that statement, I pushed him for some reasoning. It turns out his school Macbooks have a really old version of Firefox (1.5) running on Leopard. There must be some bug in that configuration because the keyboard always freezes up on him. After hearing his reasoning, I simply told him to use Safari. He quickly responded, “Safari sucks”. Again baffled, I pressed him for a response. He couldn’t come up with one; he just assumed that every operating system’s default browser sucks and he should use Firefox.

I look back now, and when I first made the switch to OS X in 2005, I had the same knee-jerk reaction. Of course, back then Safari did kind of suck, especially on pages with heavy Javascript, but still; Safari was no where near the level of crappy-ness as Internet Explorer. I just assumed Firefox was the correct browser to use without ever giving Safari a try.

A Win-Win Situation

So, I’m not really sure what to make of this. Firefox certainly has a purpose on Macs; to offer an alternative, familiar experience to Windows users, while satisfying the power-user. And, Safari certainly has the short end of the stick; with many switchers passing over an amazing browser for a recognizable name.

I guess the true solution to this stalemate is just to be happy. I mean, this is a web geek’s dream. For once, people are using standards compliant browsers in mass numbers. The movement has become so noticeable that Microsoft has been forced to raise the bar on standards in Internet Explorer 8. A Mac user can’t go wrong; either option is a good one, and in the end as long the page displays correctly, that is all that should matter.

Feb

28

This past Tuesday Apple released new Penryn-based MacBooks and MacBook Pros. This upgrade has been anticipated by Mac-enthusiasts for months, and the release has notebook users from all generations wanting to upgrade their notebooks.

I, on the other hand, cannot understand the madness. MacBook Pro owners using only a six-month old MacBook Pro are dumping their “old” notebooks in favor of the new model. For what, minor upgrades? To fully understand my side of the story, I need to first describe my current notebook:

Now with that said, I will begin enumerating the stupidity.

Minor Speed Bumps

Everyone always brags about the speed of new machines, but I have started asking myself is it really needed? Processors have become powerful enough for just about any task, so that the normal Mac user will never notice the difference from a 2.0GHz Santa Rosa Core 2 Duo to a 2.6GHz Penryn Core 2 Duo. The only people who will notice the increased speed are video professionals. In that case, is the extra 2 seconds gained rendering a half hour long file really worth the price? I don’t think so.

Multi-touch Technology

Alright, I admit that the new multi-touch capable trackpad is cool, but is it useful? I could see myself occasionally using the trackpad in iPhoto, but beyond that it would have no use. Not to mention, myself and most of the notebook owners I know dock their notebook to a monitor, keyboard, and mouse, thus making the trackpad useless in those scenarios.

Increased Storage

Yes, the new MacBooks and MacBook Pros have increased storage capacity, but again, is that a big deal? Nothing has changed in the past few years with magnetic hard drive technology, so even the oldest Intel notebooks can be upgraded to a 320GB hard drive, a size that Apple doesn’t even offer as a BTO option. Oh, and for those who say the MacBook Pro’s hard drive is not upgradable, performing a drive swap is not that difficult.

The New Keyboard

Fair enough. The keyboard function keys have been rearranged for more optimal use. So, people are dropping $2000 on some ink placed in a different spot? I never thought the MacBook Pro’s function keys were that bad. Even if they are, the MacBook Pro has an extra programmable key that can come in handy. By the way, I don’t like the keyboard’s new blue glow, so I think my MacBook Pro’s white glow is superior.

A Decent Package

You got me. The new MacBooks and MacBook Pros are amazing machines and certainly worth the upgrade if you have an older notebook. I just think the upgrades are not substantial enough from the Santa Rosa models for anyone to rush out and purchase a Penryn-based notebook. The Santa Rosa platform has more life left than people think, and we have not even reached the memory caps (64GB) or hard drive caps (infinity) yet. Although, if people want to waste their money that’s fine by me. Just don’t forget to order the now optional Apple Remote for $19, while I enjoy my Santa Rosa MacBook Pro for a few more years.

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Nov

27

In an out-of-nowhere press conference today, Verizon announced they will open their cellular network to any device starting the middle of next year. Requirements for network access are expected to be low, however, devices must be submitted for testing and approved by Verizon (and presuming the FCC) before being granted access to Verizon’s network. While this requirement may sound limiting, Ars Technica points out, “one Verizon exec went so far as to say that if someone builds a device in their basement on a breadboard, Verizon will test it and activate it.”

Personally, I find this news very exciting. While Verizon has typically been viewed as the evil giant of the cellular industry, locking down phones and charging outrageous data usage fees, a change of heart appears in store. My new Motorola RIZR V6tv (review coming soon) is barely locked down, and Verizon is even adding functionality to existing phones. Verizon may not be evil after all.

Sure, someone could argue Verizon is pinned down with the 700 MHz spectrum auction, Google’s upcoming Android mobile platform, and Apple’s iPhone changing the cellular market, however if that’s the case, isn’t competition doing its job? Competition caused Verizon to open arguably the most reliable cellular network in the United States and only more competitors will follow. I look forward to seeing what this announcement will bring and hope this is the first of many open networks to come.

Oct

30

Leopard is out. Mac fans all around the world are rejoicing as they install what is arguably the best OS X upgrade since, well, OS X. Using Leopard for five days now, I have already started adapting to the new operating system. Past habits are being modified, old applications are being trashed, and new features are being taken advantage of. So, instead of boring you with how great Leopard is (we know that already), I thought I would write about how Leopard has changed my workflow.

Backup

Without a doubt, Time Machine has already altered the way I backup. Last week I picked up a nice Seagate 320GB hard drive for my enclosure. This marks the first time in history I have purchased a dedicated backup drive. While I have backed up in the past using my NAS and Synk, I never devoted an entire drive to backups or even backed up my entire hard drive. Had Time Machine not made this easier, I would still be doing crappy backups.

I am already seeing the benefits of this change. In the process of updating Spanning Sync to the latest Leopard compatible version, Spanning Sync managed to erase months of appointments. Had this happened one week ago I would have been up the creek. Instead, I fired up Time Machine, browsed to my home directory’s Application Support folder, and restored my iCal calendars from a few hours earlier.

Application Launching

Back in Tiger, I used a program called Overflow to speed up my application launching. I loved Overflow because it launched quickly, looked beautiful, and most importantly was functional. Looking over Leopard’s features, I honestly thought Stacks would replace Overflow as my application launcher. Well, that did not happen in Leopard thanks to an unexpected change - Spotlight.

Right after installing Leopard I found the new hotness in Leopard’s Spotlight. Gone are the days of slow searches and irrelevant results. The new Spotlight is faster and functions as an application launcher. Spotlight always lists applications before anything else, so a few letters, enter, and an application launches. While Spotlight has less eye candy than a Stack or Overflow, I am finding it to be more functional.

The Dock

Leading up to the launch of Leopard the Dock was a hot topic. The new 3D interface caused people to debate the Dock’s location, perspective, and even usefulness. The debates resulted in an optional 2D interface, but I couldn’t care less about that. My true debate ended up over magnification.

I have always been a bottom, no auto hide, magnification user. After Leopard I find myself a bottom, no auto hide, no magnification user. Why the change? For some reason the magnification effect lost its glamor with the 3D dock. Sure, this change has absolutely no effect on my workflow, but I just thought I’d point out my change while others fight over more serious Dock issues.

Minor and Undecided Changes

There are many other aspects of my workflow which have changed with Leopard. Since the remaining changes are fairly insignificant or I’m not sure if I can call them a change yet, I will enter rapid fire mode for my remaining changes.

Mail instead of Gmail? Leopard’s Mail is looking pretty sweet and Gmail’s new IMAP support sure make the change easier. However, I’m not sure if I can break away from Gmail’s unique threading yet.

iCal instead of Google Calendar? As I mentioned earlier, Spanning Sync has not been working the greatest. With the my Jailbroken iPod Touch, I’m finding less of a need to use Google Calendar anyway.

iChat instead of Adium? If it would not be for iChat’s separate Contact Lists, I’d make the switch in a heartbeat. This change is going to take some adjusting to and Adium could easily win me back in a second.

MX Revolution button reconfiguration. I reassigned the buttons thanks to Spaces. New configuration: Side Wheel - Scroll through Spaces, Click Side Wheel - Spaces Overview, First Left Button - Dashboard, Second Left Button - Exposé, Search Button - Exposé Hide.

Finder icon view. Thanks to Leopard’s icon previews and Path Bar, I have made the switch from column view back to icon view.

What Did Leopard Change For You?

I’d love to hear your feedback. Has Leopard had an effect on your workflow? Are you finding the new Leopard applications suitable replacements or are you still looking for more?

Oct

17

While iPhone users are rejoicing over Apple’s decision to provide an official application SDK in February, I’m filled with questions. Will the iPod Touch receive the same application treatment? If it will, will we see iPhone applications on the Touch? Sure, Steve Jobs briefly mentioned the Touch in his announcement, but the statement leaves much to be desired.

P.S.: The SDK will also allow developers to create applications for iPod touch.

As you may know, the iPod Touch is currently a second class citizen to the iPhone. It lacks calendar editing, a VPN client, Mail, Notes, Weather, and Stocks. As I and many others have proved by Jailbreaking the Touch, there is no reason why these applications won’t run. Therefore, it would not make sense to allow third party applications (which could replicate the iPhone apps), but not provide existing iPhone applications to iPod Touch users.


Are iPhone Applications on the Way?

Hints have been given that things may change on the Touch. People who have emailed Steve Jobs regarding calendar editing have received responses claiming the lack of editing is a bug and will be enabled in a future update. If this is the case, are the missing iPhone applications a bug as well?

Further investigation leads myself and others to believe a major update is coming out for the iPhone and iPod Touch after Leopard. With the addition of Notes and Tasks to Leopard’s Mail, Note syncing and a Task application could be on the way. Apple briefly mentions this on their 300 features page:

Your notes folder acts like an email mailbox, so you can retrieve notes from any Mac or PC or access them from your iPhone.

Could it be that Apple is waiting for better syncing before brining the iPhone apps to the Touch? If not, is Apple just going to stand by and let other’s recreate their applications, or is something else in store?

A Locked Down Platform

Apple mentioned in today’s announcement that third party applications will use a signing method. This prevents viruses and other nasty applications from being installed on an iPhone, but it also gives Apple complete control over their platform. In theory, they could prevent applications like instant messaging from being installed on the iPhone, as well as keep iPhone application clones off the iPod Touch.

Which brings up another point, what if the iPod Touch SDK only means Apple is allowing third party games, similar to what is offered on the iPod Nano and iPod Classic? I see that as a very viable option, considering the limitations they’ve already imposed on the Touch.

As you can see, the announcement of third party applications brings more questions than answers. While third party applications seem like bliss on the iPhone, the iPod Touch may be a different story. Since AT&T lacks influence over the iPod Touch, Apple has no reason to cripple the Touch, but who knows what’s going on in Cupertino.

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