IT Solutions Blog | Trigon Technology

IT Support - Barnes & Noble Out-Amazons Amazon.

This is my next:

Barnes & Noble just announced its all-new Nook, with an E Ink screen and zero shenanigans. It’s being subtitled “The Simple Touch Reader,” with a single 6-inch black and white touchscreen. There’s obviously no physical keyboard, which shaves off 10 percent of the “bulk” in comparison to the Kindle 3. Barnes & Noble also made sure to drive other points of comparison home, like “80 percent less flashing” (that black screen flash that you get during E Ink page turns) and double the battery life (two months). The touchscreen works with IR technology, which should hopefully mitigate some of the problems with E Ink touchscreens and decreased readability — in fact, B&N promises a 50 percent improvement over the original Nook. For storage there’s 2GB built-in and a microSDHC slot for swapping in your copy of Proust, with a WiFi connection for snagging new titles (but no 3G). Under the hood there’s a 800MHz TI OMAP3 processor, running Android 2.1. — or your custom mod of choice once the hackers get ahold of this.

Barnes & Noble looks to be finally ahead of Amazon in the eBook hardware game. The Kindle 3 was released nearly a year ago and has gotten long in the tooth. It seems like B&N has now taken the top spot thanks to this hardware revision.

This verion of the Nook ditches the convoluted double screen of a previous model and also has no colors. But, it also adds touch capability. 

I recently purchased a Kindle 3 for my bookworm of a mother. I had a few days to set it up for her and was amazed at how great the weight of the Kindle was. It was incredibly light when compared to reading on my iPad. I made a mean kielbasa dinner while reading a book on the Kindle. Both were equally delicious. PDF rendering was also smooth. So smooth that more enterprise companies should be handing these bad boys out on a regular basis.

My guess is Amazon has a whole slew of form factors coming down the pike. I would imagine a redesigned Kindle, but also a color tablet running a modified version of Android. Either way, readers win.

IT Support | Windows Coming to ARM.

Microsoft:

Microsoft Corp. today announced at 2011 International CES that the next version of Windows will support System on a Chip (SoC) architectures, including ARM-based systems from partners NVIDIA Corp., Qualcomm Inc. and Texas Instruments Inc. On the x86 architecture, Intel Corporation and AMD continue their work on low-power SoC designs that fully support Windows, including support for native x86 applications. SoC architectures will fuel significant innovation across the hardware spectrum when coupled with the depth and breadth of the Windows platform.

At today’s announcement, Microsoft demonstrated the next version of Windows running on new SoC platforms from Intel running on x86 architecture and from NVIDIA, Qualcomm and Texas Instruments on ARM architecture. The technology demonstration included Windows client support across a range of scenarios, such as hardware-accelerated graphics and media playback, hardware-accelerated Web browsing with the latest Microsoft Internet Explorer, USB device support, printing and other features customers have come to expect from their computing experience. Microsoft Office running natively on ARM was also shown as a demonstration of the potential of Windows platform capabilities on ARM architecture.

Hooray? What does it all mean?

The long and short of it means the next version of Windows will be perfectly acceptable to run on a smaller device. More than likely tablets. Right now, in its current form, Windows 7 is a total mess on a tablet. It just wasn't built for it. I'm talking in both design and hardware requirements. Have you ever used Windows 7 on a tablet? It's pretty gross.

I have a VNC app on my iPad that can remote into the laptop in my office. There is a lot of tapping, tapping again, and then tapping a little closer. It's very difficult to use Windows on a touchscreen. Even if you had the perfect hardware specifications, it's a little hokey.

Microsoft announcing that the next version of their OS will run on the ARM architecture says a few things. For better or worse, it means that Microsoft thinks their desktop Windows UI is the way to go on the tablet space. It also means they've finally decided to take this space seriously. I expect the next version of Windows to have some graphical changes not just for desktop usage, but also tablet. 

ARM will allow Microsoft to package their OS on a small form factor, with (hopefully) none of the drawbacks. No slow down, no overheating, etc.

Personally, I think Microsoft should have their Windows Phone 7 UI ported to the tablet. It's slick, it's new, and it would work well on a tablet. It remains to be seen if Windows 8 will do a better job. Are you using a tablet right now for your business? Let us know if we can help you with your tablet enterprising needs.

IT Support | Windows Phone 7 "Sells" 1.5 Million Units

ZDNet:

After weeks of avoiding answering questions about how many Windows Phone 7 devices have been sold since their launch in late October, Microsoft execs have decided to release figures.

On December 21, in an article on its Web site for the press, Microsoft officials said that its phone partners have sold “over 1.5 million phones in the first six weeks” they were available.

Sales might have been higher, had phone makers and carriers actually provided sufficient stock. Or if phone makers didn’t have to delay shipping models with various technical glitches. But in any case, that 1.5 million figure is quite a bit higher than various (informed and uninformed) estimates I’ve seen.

The article goes on to update that the figure is actually 1.5 million units sold to carriers, not actual consumers. So, what does it all mean?

To me, it sounds like the numbers weren't anything to cry home about. But that's fine. Microsoft is in this for the long haul and unfortunately this is a market where numbers are everything. If they don't say any numbers, people think it's a total failure. Which is a total bummer in my book.

We need other OS's in this market. It's even better that the Metro UI is completely unlike anything out there. Who wants to have a handful of OS's that look exactly like iOS and Android? Not me friend, that's for sure. 

While these numbers aren't encouraging to "analysts", it's encouraging to myself, a tech enthusiast. Speaking of tech enthusiasts, Trigon! If you're curious about the best way in enable your company's mobile infrastructure, let us know!

IT Support | Can The Market Support 4 Tablet Operating Systems?

Information Week:

Apple's time nearly alone in the tablet space is set to come to an end quickly. Motorola is preparing to launch an Android-based tablet at the Consumer Electronics Show in early January. The Android-powered Samsung Galaxy Tab has already been on sale for a couple of months. RIM's PlayBook is coming to the market by the end of the first quarter, and HP/Palm are prepping a webOS-based tablet. Microsoft may throw its hat in the ring, too (though who knows in what form).

Just how many tablet platforms can the market support?

Thanks for the question, Eric from Information Week. It's a doozy. Trigon, as always, is on the cusp of information technology. I mean, there is no new gadget we aren't already preparing a blog post about.

So, as we are all keenly aware, Apple is the king of the tablet hill. Sure, there are some Windows Fanboys that will point to their super awesome laptop/tablet that has some kind of twisty/swivel screen. Come on, that thing is awful and you know it. Anywho, Apple is the king of the hill, Motorola is coming out with an Android tablet fully supported by Google. RIM, bless their hearts, says their tablet that isn't coming out until March is already ahead of the iPad. And we also have Palm, who has been rumored to have created a tablet based on WebOS. That's a full slate. (see what I did there?) 

Aside from Motorola having Google behind them, it's going to be very difficult for RIM and Palm to come out and get consumers behind them. Are there really people holding out for a RIM tablet? Are there really people still using BlackBerry's? If you're using one right now, sorry! (I'm not really sorry)

The mindshare that Apple has and also "Droid" is pretty remarkable. You'll notice I said "Droid" and not Android. I'd bet that 8 out of 10 people think their phone is running Droid. Sure, it's obviously not true, but that's where the mindshare is right now. 

I vote no, Eric!

IT Support | Motorola Android Honeycomb Tablet Spotted!

Engadget:

By now you're probably familiar with this slate, seeing as how Google's Andy Rubin recently unveiled it on stage, but we're willing to bet you've never seen the top edge -- you know, the part now bearing a front-facing webcam and a conspicuous Verizon tattoo. Yes, this is Motorola's 10-inch Honeycomb tablet, and it's playing for Team Red just as foretold, though the tipster who obtained these images isn't sure whether it will bear the name Stingray, Everest or even potentially "Trygon." Spec-wise, we're told our previous tipster was right on the money, and it'll have a 1GHz Tegra 2 T20, a gyroscope and 32GB of storage underneath that 1280 x 800 multitouch screen, as well as 512MB of RAM and a slot for an up-to-32GB microSD card. It also sure looks like there's a micro-USB jack, a mini-HDMI port and a 3.5mm headphone socket, as well as some contacts for a likely dock, though as always Mr. Blurrycam's handiwork is such that we can't quite tell. No matter -- see for yourself in the gallery below. 

Hmmmm. Some of the stills from Rubin's appearance at Dive Into Digital made it look very Windows-ish. Though, it may turn out the Honeycomb, Android 3.0, runs some kind of widgeting system on-screen. Since Google recently released their flashship phone, the Nexus S, I can only hope they will do the same with their Honeycomb tablet. Nexus T?

It's become obvious that Google doesn't approve of the Galaxy Tab in anyway and barely acknowledge its existence. Who knows if that tablet will be able to run Android 3.0. My guess is no and it will die a slow death. Sorry, early adopters!

The real benefit of these new tablets are their mobile opportunities for your small to mid-sized business. Out in Radnor but have a meeting in Bala Cynwyd? You can be able to video conference into the meeting using your tablet. Trigon can help you out with these Star Trekkian meetings, friend.

IT Support | RIM Betting The Farm On Web Apps.

TechCrunch:

Asked what he would say to Jobs if he were present today at the Web 2.0 Summit, Balsillie shot back: “You finally showed up.” The implication being that RIM practically invented the smartphone category and is not going anywhere.

Balsillie went on to contrast the Blackberry approach to Apple’s when it comes to web apps. There may be 300,000 apps for the iPhone and iPad, but the only app you really need is the browser. “You don’t need an app for the Web,” he says, and that is equally true for the mobile Web. The debate over mobile apps versus the mobile Web. Blackberry is betting on the Web, much like Google .

Oh no, he didn’t.

Jim Balsillie is the RIM head honcho and was willing to chat about the new BlackBerry iPad competitor, the Playbook. The surprising part about the Playbook is the OS. It’s essentially running on Adobe Air. It doesn’t just allow Adobe’s tools, it flat out embraces them. Balsillie is going to great lengths to let people know that the web is the way to go for their tablet.

The problem with that is Steve Jobs said the same thing when the iPhone was first introduced in 2007. He had previously said that the Maps app trumped any web app that Google had to offer, but when the developer conference came around, he crushed everyone’s dreams. The thousands of developers in attendance were disheartened to hear that Job’s original vision for the iPhone was web apps. (This was a full year before the App Store) We all know what happened next. Developers Jailbroke their phones so that they could learn the internal code themselves to develop their own apps, without Apple’s help.

Will the same thing happen to RIM’s PlayBook? Mobile web apps sure are nice, but when compared to native mobile apps, they look plain silly.

If you're interested in getting your mobility up to speed at your small to mid sized business, be sure to let us know. Trigon may be based out of Wayne, PA, but we also support Abington, Chester and many others!

IT Support | Samsung Tab Officially Priced Hilariously

Press Release:

Verizon Wireless and Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile) today announced the highly anticipated Samsung Galaxy Tab™ will be available Nov. 11 for $599.99. Running on Android™ 2.2, the Samsung Galaxy Tab features a brilliant 7-inch touch screen; robust HTML Web browsing experience with full support for Adobe® Flash® 10.1 for video and mobile gaming; and a 1GHz Cortex A8 Hummingbird Application processor.

“This is an incredible time in mobile technology, and as a company we’re excited to add the Samsung Galaxy Tab to our portfolio,” said Marni Walden, vice president and chief marketing officer for Verizon Wireless. “The Samsung Galaxy Tab brings together the reliability of Verizon Wireless’ 3G network and the power of Android 2.2 to deliver on our promise of providing consumers and business customers with a host of options to help manage their lives.”

Well, that's the end of that experiment. I look forward to Samsung concentrating more on cell phones in the near future.

$600 for a 3G, 16GB model, unsubsidized from Verizon? You can get an iPad for that same amount of money, but you get an OS that is actually approved by the company, and apps that are built for the device. You could also get a non-3G 16GB iPad for just $499.

With the Tab you get smaller real estate, and operating system that Google even says isn't designed for tablets, and zero Day 1 apps built for the actual device. It's silliness to think you can compete with a product that defined a market where there was none for a higher price, with no cheaper alternative. Silliness!

Hopefully for Samsung, there will be many other models for purchase, aside from those offered at Verizon.

IT Support | Is The Galaxy Tab a Contender?

Google's Tim Bray:

This is an excellent product. It’s fast, beautiful, useful, responsive, and convenient. If Samsung picks the right price point and channels, they’ll sell a ton.

It has one really irritating design flaw: the four standard Android “buttons” are touch-sensitive areas on glass which, in dim light, you can’t see unless they’re back-lit, which too often they’re not. A month in, my fingers know where they are, but it shouldn’t take multiple days to learn to use basic controls when there are only four of them.

A secondary flaw is intrinsic: It’s kind of big, compared to a phone. Deal with it — or not — as you choose.

Ok, that last one is an odd one. Tim Bray is a Google Developer Evangelist. What's that mean? Imagine me getting a job telling people how great cheezy poofs in order to get them to eat a ton. Side note: what an amazing job that would be.

Still not word on pricing for the Galaxy Tab, but thanks to Tim Bray, we have a pretty exhaustive review to go on and make rash assumptions. I was taken aback by his comments on the browser usage. When loading a website, more often than not, the Tab will load the mobile version of the site. That can be thanks to the "Android" User-Agent string of the device. To the regular website, it looks as if you're using a phone to load the site. That would annoy me. A lot. I've also heard varying degrees of slow-down and stutter while scrolling, but Tim doesn't mention that in his review.

The Network options are very confusing as well. It seems like Samsung will be selling these subsidized at Verizon and other places. The price is rumored to be $199 with a 2 year contract, so one would have to think that a 3G-less model would run around $499 or higher. That could be a tough sell considering that there are no real Tab-specific apps ready yet, and the screen real estate is significantly smaller than that of an iPad.

What say you, internet?

Worried about whether or not your IT Support company serving the Philadelphia area will help you and your Galaxy Tab? Worry not, friend! We're here to help.

IT Enterprise | RIM Announced PlayBook: The iPad for Business Users.

HP Slate Running Windows 7 Emerges on the Internets.

Before reading, check out the YouTube clip.

Thoughts?

I'll give mine first. That was awful. I hope this is a prototype that will never get made, let's be honest. Can you image a CTRL-ALT-DELETE hardware button? Ouch.

This video continues to show that Windows 7, or any other Windows OS was not designed for a tablet experience. It doesn't matter what kind of fluff you put on top of the OS, it just won't work. The new Windows Phone 7 OS looks to be a better user experience, in fact. I would not want to be the Managed Services company in charge of those products. Wait, what's that? We just signed up for a fleet of HP Slate tablets? There is someone in Wayne, PA that needs IT support? I LOVE those tablets! They are so easy to use in the enterprise sector!

(.....)

Love or hate the iPad, the usability is never questioned. The entire operating system was designed with touch in mind. Windows 7 was not. I'd love to use Windows on a tablet, but we're several years from that happening and not wanting to throw that same tablet out the window.