A First Class Problem
Yesterday David Barnard said this on twitter: “I have enough fanboy moments standing in line for iOS devices and what not, but part of me is sad that I’m not more excited about Lion.” Shawn Blanc followed with: “@drbarnard I think that’s due (at least in part) to the price and the distribution model. It seems like less of a big deal from Apple.” And then David nailed it with: “@shawnblanc and looking at today’s financial results, it *is* less of a big deal from Apple.”
Almost all of the co-hosts on 5by5’s shows have been reiterating this same point for months but, now that Lion is purchasable, it’s apparent that people aren’t excited about it. Nerds and Normals alike.
Thanks to Lessien for this post’s title.
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Evernote: My Plethora Of Knowledge
Evernote’s philosophy of constantly capturing seemingly insignificant items should go against my normally minimal computing lifestyle. But, I have found my self starting to save a lot more of my life and I think more importantly, my ideas. Along with saving snapshots of Nickedit247’s progress, almost all of my thoughts for the content of my blog are stored in Evernote. Unsurprisingly enough, most of my posts have been started on my iPhone in Evernote. It’s that mobility that allows me to sporadically enter in dysfunctional snippets of text that I can later curate and refine in Evernote for Mac. It’s perfect for my long form notes and is malleable enough to adapt for other uses, it is not, however, truncated by being just another GTD or simple note taking app. It is its own hybrid of OTA syncing multimedia supporting cross platform database that takes as much or as little as you give it and turns it into your own personalized encyclopedia that can be accessed at your choosing.
So, this idea capturing app is obviously important to me and my workflow now but I was hesitant at first to try it. With the ability to amass such amounts of data that compounds so quickly, I didn’t want to unleash myself to a life of digital hoarding. I did decide to go for it anyway and I downloaded Evernote, no doubt the price point of free had much influence in my adoption. After using it I saw the value of keeping a trail of what I know behind me so that it can be pulled up at any time for referance.
With a little discipline I can even keep my collection semi organized. Evernote has notebooks to break up your information into more comprehensive blocks of data and by using tags the user can put notes into context. If you are the unorderly type that’s all right, Evernote has a phenomenal search bar that lets you methodically sift through your notes for any text including the text in images that are in Evernote. It has sharing built into the app that easily makes notes public and readable. The app’s OTA syncing that has been nothing but efficient for me. It also has a web clipper that implants itself right into your browser that grabs text from any webpage or takes the entire webpage and drops it into your account without interruption. And since there is also a high ubiquity rate of access on nearly any device plus a web interface, it will be a rare occurrence to be unable to retrieve data from your account.
All of this is offered for free with an allowance of 60 mb of storage per month. If you require more space or want more collaboration capabilities (e.g. read and write) then a premium version is purchasable for $5 a month or, because of Evernote’s lack of math skills as the CEO humorously points out in the company’s podcast, $45 a year. With upped allowance of 1GB per month you can add your documents to Evernote and access them from any supported device. I still think Dropbox is better suited for this task due to Evernote not supporting all file types but they hit the most streamlined types such as .doc and PDF.
A phrase that keeps circulating in my head when I think of Evernote is laid-back. It’s an odd descriptive word for an app but it makes sense to me after I started to understand the company’s disposition a little better. It’s more clear now why the company and app come off as both unaggrasive and open. It’s Evernote’s way of welcoming newcomers and earning their trust to have life long customers. The app really seems modeled after the company’s outlook on profit. They are completely content with having free users, in fact 10 million of their users continue to use the service for free. They are in this business with the long term goal of attaining revenue from people that use the app their whole lives and want to upgrade to the premium version for more storage and features. They know loyalty will pay off more than an initial charge would.
Connect: See my new site at nickedit247.com. Feel free to send a comment to nickedit247@gmail.com or follow me on twitter @nickedit247. Also, see the post that sparked this review.
Alfred: My Existential Butler
It is hard to describe an app that is as transparent as Alfred. It’s the app that I never think I use but, somehow I’m always using it. Throughout the entirety of the writing this post I jumped from app to app, file to file all while not even remembering that Alfred took me there. It’s this kind of copasetic app that deserves the utmost raveing comments and reviews but it so well does its job that people forget it sometimes. That is, until they find themselves sucked into Andrew Pepperrell’s documented journey of what Alfred really means to him. And it means a lot. So much so that he recently resigned from his full time job to dedicate himself even more to Alfred and pursue his passion.
There are a couple of things to know about Alfred. Alfred isn’t quite under the hood but it’s not an active app in the sense of a window being present at all times. It does have a UI when called upon but on par with the speed of a keyboard driven app, it quickly disappears. Also, Alfred comes in two forms, the free and the Powerpack. The Powerpack extends Alfred’s features while the free version offers the main functions. The free version is one of those apps that slowly invites you to explore more then entices you to buy the power pack which enable all this extra stuff that pushes you farther down the slippery slope before you realize how much it adopts into your workflow. With that understanding, here’s what it does.
Alfred, in its most basic form, is an app launcher. You enter in the first couple of letters of an app and it shows executable results. It also finds any file on your Mac by bringing you to the exact location of the file in the finder after typing “find filename.“If you want to be even more productive with searching the internet, Alfred does that too. Just type a search such as “Alfred tips” and your query appears almost instantly in your default browser. Other handy features include definitions and calculations. Although I forget to use these, they are nice ways to get answers fast. Once you become comfortable with the basics, other opportunities expand into the Powerpack.
You can tell Pepperrell is most excited about the Powerpack. His blog almost always pertains to the Powerpack and the amazing community backing it. The free version of Alfred is really a kind of easement into buying the Powerpack and joining the community while also bringing more advanced functionality. What makes this Alfred community great is the participation in customizing Alfred to their own needs then sharing what they have done with others. Some of the most noticeable acts of this sharing are in the customizable color themes for the UI and the ability to create scripts that let Alfred interact with many apps. Soon the scripts will be available within the app as extensions that can be added to Alfred to encourage more sharing.
I think what attracts such a ‘give the love back’ attitude within the community is the approach that Pepperrell has taken. He is very honest and real with his writing on both his twitter account and his blog. He tries to be humorous while also delivering news about Alfred. A good example is his “Super Non Committal Alfred Release Plan” blog posts where he admits that he doesn’t know exactly how long updates will take him.
He just comes off as a normal cool guy that I would want to grab a beer with. But he doesn’t have much time to drink with his relentless implementations and advancements to Alfred’s Powerpack.
For me the Powerpack’s offerings have changed the way I operate with the keyboard. When I first got my Mac I only used the mouse to navigate. Now, Alfred handles pretty much everything for me. I had to ask myself, why would I use the iTunes window anymore? Alfred has a mini player that lets me rate, select, play, and shuffle my entire library. Why wouldn’t I just use Alfred to sleep and shutdown my Mac? Typing “sleep” is much faster than mousing to menus. Why on earth should I be limited to one thing in the clip board when I can save my clippings from the past month with Alfred? On top of that, the Powerpack supports snippets, global hotkeys, terminal commands, address book integration, and file navigation within Alfred’s window allowing you to drag and drop an item without having to open the finder. It’s an all in one package.
However, being the all in one app that it is, there is a risk of it being too bloated. There are options to disable the features you don’t use but I think with all these options it becomes slightly daunting to dive into the experience. Albeit, common Jane will probably stick with the free version anyway so I don’t foresee the immense amount of features hindering Alfred’s progress too much.
Alfred is a fantastic app that has totally changed how I bounce around from task to task. I would encourage anyone to give it a try at their website or the MAS. Pepperrell is also worth following on Twitter, same goes for his tumblr blog.
Connect: Feel free to send a comment to nickedit247@gmail.com or follow me on twitter @nickedit247. Also, see the post that sparked this review.
Reiterating The Vision And Mentality Of Microsoft
The new Windows phone, code named Mango, has prompted Microsoft to release a ten minute Youtube video showcasing their new device. Throughout the video Joe Belfiore uses “We.” A lot. And that is the fundamental difference in the mentality of Microsoft and Apple.
Microsoft’s whole approach to this phone is to aggregate everything you need and implement it into their apps like Bing and Outlook. They are attempting to manage everyones needs in a just few apps, much like Windows. This works wonders on people who like integration and do not want to worry about their tech devices running afoul. The experience has to work, not be flexible. Apple handles their approach as an app centric experience and they offer multiple ways to hack at a problem. Many apps accomplish the same task but do so in different methods. Since this causes a slightly wonky process in getting things done, it only works for some people and not the majority.
Now, back to the video.
Apple’s iPhone commercials are all about the 3rd party developer’s apps. Microsoft’s commercial’s are all about Microsoft’s suite of apps. The distinction goes back to the mentality difference. Microsoft believes it can do everything in any way you want it. Apple gives you its apps but leaves it up to you after that. Both strategies work for their own audiences. This infomercial, to give it a name, just relates Microsoft’s position even further; less innovation and more integration.
I also really do not believe that Mango is going to be the next iPhone killer. Sure you will see titles like ”Mago Aims To Tango With iPhone” in the coming days but this new windows phone is going to be more so in competition with Android. The iPhone has found its place in the market already and has its loyal customer base. However, Android has neglected to appease its followers with anything reliable so when their fickle customer’s see Mango, they will jump ship.
Connect: Feel free to send a comment to nickedit247@gmail.com or follow me on twitter @nickedit247.
Nuances And Communities, A New Review Series
When I love an app and regularly use it, I then, artificially, feel connected to the developers behind it. It’s like when you listen to a podcast and you feel as if you have a personal relationship with the speakers. In an effort to differentiate themselves from traditional broadcasting, podcasters are intimate with their audiences. They talk about their life, their fears, their ideas, they simply act like themselves.
App developers are much in the same strain. They have broken away from stereotypes and have blossomed into incredibly well versed creative people that form a community around their products. They blog, they tweet, they encourage the excitement stirring around their apps. In my opinion the best apps come from the people that carry you along for the ride. It enables us to learn from them while we form a commitment to their app. It is the best ecosystem for a indie developer to have. It makes me want to immerse myself in their culture.
This has lead me to start a new series on Nickedit247. I’m going to review all the apps that I currently use and have been using for a period of time. In doing so, I have really lived with the apps. And I mean “lived” like in the sense of living with another person.
When I say lived, I mean an event of importance. Like moving in with your girlfriend. Yeah it might be great living with her initially but then you start observing certain nuances that differ from what you previously knew. Things that you once thought were cute now annoy you. Other things remind you why you love her and spark newly found interest. As you group these nuances together you form an opinion. You don’t necessarily evaluate your girlfriend, you just observe then process that info. Oddly, that is how a good review should be done too. So that’s exactly what I have done, I observed then I processed.
My review posts will be the review of an app and a review of the developers’s conglomerated outreach as a whole. That means I will read their blog, follow them on twitter, and consume whatever else they offer. I am excited about this and also see it as a great way to make connections with the actual developers. So here is to a new start. Let’s see what happens.
Connect: Feel free to send a comment to nickedit247@gmail.com or follow me on twitter @nickedit247.
Apple Is Covering The Bases
The whole point of entertainment is to observe someone else do work. When I turn on my TV, stereo, whatever, I want a no hassle non taxing experience that allows me to be entertained. Most companies miss this point and will release portals to their content that are a total inconvenience to use, which refutes the entire notion of entertainment.
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The iPad Effect
The iPad is great because there are driven developers making it great. The iPad would just not be as enticing if it were not for their immense support and creativity. While this platform is a developer’s digital playground now, it is worrisome to think of the innovation stagnating due to a new generation’s mindset.
As one can observe, there is a computing transition taking place. A transition that converts the vast majority of people towards consumption rather than production. There are multiple reasons for this but, at the heart of it, it comes down to mindset. You see, thoughts of computers are coexistent with thoughts of power, capability, horsepower, workload; Thoughts of tablets and smart phones are more along the lines of pleasure, portability, easy, new. This separation of what a traditional computer and what a tablet does for you is becoming more prevalent with the realization of “What do I actually need?” And honestly, you probably do not need all that much.
Yes, if you do intensive tasks then that requires an intensive computer. However, that is not the case with the remaining population. The rest surf the web. They learn about world events, they check their email, they laugh about what their friend said on Facebook, maybe they write up a document for a boss, and that is about it. Those minute tasks do not have to run on a computer anymore and adults know what a privilege that is compared to how it was five years ago. But, for a three year old growing up today, things are becoming radically different. These kids will grow up with a tablet and a smart phone in their hands without knowing the limitations that entail.
Sure, there will always be youth that are driven and want to create something of their own, like Alex Blackie, however the already minimal amount kids doing this is diminishing. Parents will give their children tablets and that tablet is going to become what is normal for an entire generation. They will absorb content like the sponges that they are but they will be less inclined to contribute back in a meaningful way. They will know computers as what their parents use at work and what the yearbook staff at school uses to store the thousands of pictures. The raw power will be known, but, it will be such overkill for most tasks that it will be intimidating. So, in essence, kids will be less inclined to delve into the intimidating world of serious computers even if these dinosaurs offer users the malleability to pioneer what is in your head that can not be expressed through a touch screen interface.
Those developers that are making the iPad great now are not going to be around for ever. It will be up the next generation to step up and start innovating. The question is, how many will answer the call?
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The Business Tablet Landscape
To an Apple enthusiast the fact that Microsoft has yet to release a tablet is unnerving. The fact that Microsoft has refrained from even announcing a tablet is potential disaster.
You see, IT departments for fortune 500 companies must examine what the tablet market has to offer before embracing these new devices. After an analysis of the pros and cons of the current tablet offering, the iPad comes out on top. However, the lack of a central file management system and Apple’s strict control over the iPad renders the device less business friendly than it ought to be. And to lay it out practically, these companies have been cycling through the same Dell and Windows setup for years and are quite hesitant to dive into an entirely new way of computing.
This is where Microsoft can walk in and try to run the show.
Looking at Microsoft’s success with the Xbox 360 one has to see the correlation of how that success can transition to a tablet. When any tech company can pair their software with their hardware it is easier to perfect the performance and experience. That is exactly what Microsoft did with the 360 and not only does it capture a wide audience like Windows, but it also is a very good product. They support indie development, they pioneered playing online through game consoles, and they have innovated with products like Kinect all while not even being a game company.
Microsoft will steal and leech everything that works well on iOS devices and brand it as their own thus, their tablet will most likely be good. It should be very similar to the Xbox in respect to having the hardware optimized to run the software smoothly. They will release an app along the same idea as “My Computer” to handle files and file transfer. Judging from Microsoft’s commercials they are enamored by the cloud so yes, that will be one of the biggest selling points.
Although Microsoft’s tablet will be good, that is not the point. The quality of the product will have much less importance than it should. This is what it really comes down to:
Windows and Microsoft’s suite of software is still associated with the working man’s computer. Apple and it’s selection is not. That is all there is to it. People are comfortable with what they have and are less inclined to switch unless someone tells them to. Hopefully with Apple’s measurable lead on the tablet market, they will continue making the iPad worth obsessing over and businesses will adopt it into their workflow.
Since the origin of Apple, fanboys have prophesied to family and friends on how much better it is to be on Apple’s greener pastures. We know that technology should make a task easier, we know about developing an emotional connection to our Macs, we know about the community backing Apple that is like no other. Yes, we also know that Microsoft is inferior but, its nice to know that everyone else is drinking the same cool-aid as we are.
Side note: I have confidence that the upcoming iOS 5 release and the Mobile Me refresh will no doubt be great and I believe it will be good enough not have to worry about the impending Microsoft tablet.
Contact: Feel free to send a comment to nickedit247@gmail.com or follow me on twitter @nickedit247.
Web Success
As any consumer knows, the web moves faster than any technology ever produced. Remember when Facebook was not saturated with 500 million people including your mom and boss? While Facebook skyrocketed to movie success, some websites like … oh yeah, no one remembers the failures of yesterday because we are too busy with what is new.
Brilliant ideas are being expressed every hour on the web. In a fair and just world the next Dropbox or the next Apple would be coming out every week but web standards and innovation from big budget companies have changed everything, for the better. Website can’t get away with ugly or asinine interface choices anymore (unless you are a printer website that makes one contemplate suicide when looking for a driver.)
New web development requires more talent, more networking, and more money. A new website will need to be developed by the best and most passionate people in their field to make any sort of affect on the most diehard fan of whatever niche the developer is targeting. The new necessity for web developers is to have more resemblance to a professional team. This team must expertly handle what we have come to expect as a good clean web experience.
Developers now more than ever have to be mindful of typography, security, marketing, usability, appeal, and most important, if it accomplishes the goal that was initially set without trying to please everyone. Gratefully, the Internet is still a somewhat yet unmastered frontier. It is harder than ever to achieve importance on the web but, isn’t the challenge the best part?
Contact: Feel free to send a comment to nickedit247@gmail.com or follow me on twitter @nickedit247.
