Blackberry tablet

The article, Is a BlackBerry tablet coming next week? shares a lot of information about a possible new product. I think it would be a good idea to introduce this product just to offer more competition to the iPad. Some users might like one gadget better than the other so it would give them more options to consider when purchasing. The tablet would be almost identical to the iPad in that it is not in conjunction with cellular service but still offers Wi-Fi. This would be a great product for BlackBerry to introduce, if they can make it match the iPad.

Use is growing, but some adults still apps-backward

The CNN article, Use is growing, but some adults still apps-backward was definitely eye-opening for me. It talks about the low percentage of US adults who actually use the apps on their smartphones. Many adults did not even know that they had apps on their phones. I thought that an overwhelming majority of the population used apps. The article also mentions that these applications on smart phones are still in their infancy, which is contrary to what I had previously believed about this innovation. All in all, I think people should look more into phones before buying them and only purchase a smartphone if they are really going to use it. Many people may be paying more for a fancy phone and have no clue that they're doing it. The market should offer some more basic phones for these adults who have no clue how to even use a smartphone.

So, who's still buying Netbooks?

The CNN article, So, who's still buying Netbooks? makes many good points about the recent downfall of netbooks. Netbooks are offered as a middle option to a smartphone or a notebook. One possible reason for the loss of netbook sales could be attributed to the recent release of the ipad. The ipad sells for a similar price as the netbook and offers comparable features. Therefore, consumers have more options. Also, tablets can offer buyers more features than netbooks. Tablets are taking over a large portion of the netbook's market.

I agree with this article that tablets and ipads can offer more than netbooks. They also have a more edgy design than a netbook. Netbooks were a huge deal when they were first introduced and were probably just a fad. I can see their emergence in the market fading in the coming years.

iTunes Ping: The missing thing

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/social.media/09/03/cashmore.itunes.ping/index.html?iref=allsearch

I found this article on CNN about Apple's new social network that is in conjunction with iTunes. This social network is meant for users to connect with their friends over musical tastes. It claims to suggest new artists that are similar to the ones you personally like. Ping is trying to compete with other social networking sites by offering different options.

The article talks about how Apple's new network falls short in many aspects. First, its musical suggestions actually have little to do with the artists you like. Especially when the user first starts using Ping, it suggests popular artists. I can see how this would be disappointing for users whose musical tastes are beyond mainstream. The article says that the program almost always suggests Lady GaGa for every user. It seems evident that Ping is trying to use these musical icons to draw in more users.

Another frustrating thing about this new social network is the lack of artists. Since not many iTunes artists know about Ping yet, they would have to be in contact with Apple to create a profile. The article asserts that Apple has to send artists invitations to Ping. This sounds like trouble for independent artists who want to be heard.

All in all, I think Apple had many great ideas in releasing Ping, but it seems that their new program is missing a few key elements. Since Apple is really in sync with their consumers, they will most likely work on improving the social network to how the consumers see fit. Ping may be lacking now, but it will no doubt be better in the future.