Archives: September 2008

Apple Streamlines the iPhone Buying Process. If Only That Were It's Biggest Problem

Posted by: Peter Burrows on September 29

Analyst Charlie Wolf from Needham told me some weeks ago that Apple was working on ways to streamline the iPhone buying process--which at the time seemed to be one of...

Bad Economy Reaches Cupertino, Says Analyst

Posted by: Peter Burrows on September 25

So what about you? Are you in the market for a Mac? Are you going ahead with the purchase, or putting it off until we know how this economic crisis plays out?

iPhone vs Android: When It Comes To Wooing Developers, Don't Underestimate the First Mover Advantage

Posted by: Peter Burrows on September 25

Now that the first Android phone is out, most of the analysis has centered on the fascinating contrast in smart phone business models between Apple and Google. You've got Google...

The Seinfeld Ads Spiced Up Bill Gates' Image. Will Future Microsoft Ads Do The Same For Vista?

Posted by: Peter Burrows on September 19

The logical foundation for the ads was unconvincing. The problem is that everyone already knows that everyone (or at least 90% of them) already uses a PC. One could argue that the ad might as well have been singing the praises of people who like beef, or basketball. Plenty of accomplished and likeable people consume those products, as well.

Apple's Anti-DRM Stance: Why It's More Talk Than Action

Posted by: Peter Burrows on September 17

CORRECTION: In the second to last paragraph of this story, I wrote that "buying unprotected music takes far more clicks and energy than buying from the regular iTunes store." It...

So How is iPhone 2.1 Treating You?

Posted by: Peter Burrows on September 15

It's been a few days since Apple released iPhone firmware version 2.1, which according to Steve Jobs will fix many of the problems cited with the iPhone 3G. So far,...

How's This For A Switch: A Blue Screen of Death, Courtesy of Apple

Posted by: Peter Burrows on September 14

Just when I was hoping that iPhone firmware update 2.1 was going to improve the performance of the loaner iPhone I've been using from Apple, here comes another headache courtesy...

What's To Be Learned From The Options Backdating Scandal? Next Time, Let's Focus On Something More Scandalous

Posted by: Peter Burrows on September 10

I wouldn't be surprised if investors forked over twice as much real cash, compared to what they actually lost to backdating (remember, much of the backdated options never were exercised, so the cost to investors was nil). I haven't seen this total tally anywhere, but if you come across such data I'd love to see it.

Blogging Apple Event News

Posted by: Arik Hesseldahl on September 09

Peter and Cliff are at the event in San Francisco, and I'm tracking developments from New York. Here's the story so far: Steve has taken the stage, and looks similar...

How Will Apple Improve iTunes?

Posted by: Peter Burrows on September 08

Enough about the hardware. What about iTunes? As Steve Jobs often points out, software is what sets Apple apart most--and Apple's digital music store and jukebox seem more than a little stale to me. Plain old downloads, same old promotion of [mostly] the same old pop hits. In fact, just when I was wondering if Microsoft would call it quits on its poor-selling Zune, they've announced improvements that sound great to my ears