Linked List: April 28, 2011

Thursday, 28 April 2011

Google TV Update 

Janko Roettgers:

Logitech’s Revue Google TV set-top box and periphery devices, such as the a Revue-optimized webcam, only generated about $5 million in sales in the last quarter, according to Thursday’s earnings.

That’s far below expectations. Logitech had reported Google TV product sales of $22 million for the previous quarter, and estimated to sell another $18 million in the fiscal fourth quarter. The company missed these estimates by more than 70 percent. Tanking Google TV sales were also reflected by a 28-percent rise in inventory.

Netbooks 

Todd Bishop, on Microsoft’s quarterly results:

In its quarterly filing, Microsoft indicated that the consumer PC market was the primary culprit for the decline — pointing in particularly to a 40 percent decline in netbook sales in the consumer market.

40 percent decline in netbooks, eh? Some netbook claim chowder:

How the iPhone Knows Where You Are 

Great article by Glenn Fleishman on how Apple uses cell towers, Wi-Fi, and GPS for location services.

The Economics of Death Star Planet Destruction 

Or, as Matthew Yglesias puts it, “the logic and limits of the Tarkin Doctrine”.

RIM Cuts Profit Forecast as BlackBerry Demand Falls Short 

Bloomberg:

Research In Motion Ltd., facing intensifying competition from Apple Inc. and Google Inc., cut its sales and profit forecasts for this quarter on slower-than- expected demand for BlackBerry smartphones. The stock plunged. […]

RIM said BlackBerry shipments will be at the lower end of the range of 13.5 million to 14.5 million it projected last month, and the mix of devices it sells will shift toward cheaper models.

Starting to get the feeling that RIM is a company on the verge of collapse.

White iPhone 4 Slightly Thicker? 

It’s always something with that jerk.

Don’t Forget the Mac 

Bloomberg, reporting on Microsoft’s quarterly results:

Personal computer shipments unexpectedly fell 3.2 percent in the quarter as businesses and consumers held off purchases and shifted to tablet computers, IDC said. Microsoft’s multi-year contracts with corporations weren’t enough to make up for businesses that are holding onto machines for longer periods and consumers who are choosing iPads over a new laptop with Windows.

The iPad does seem to have siphoned off much of the growth in the PC industry. But don’t forget that Mac sales are up, too — 28 percent higher in the just-completed quarter than a year ago. So it’s really more that Apple has taken the growth, with the Mac at the high end and the iPad at the low end.

Apple Now More Profitable Than Microsoft 

“Times change”, indeed.

Marco Arment on Pulling the Free Version of Instapaper From the App Store 

He created the free version in the hope that it would increase sales of the paid version, but sales of the paid version have gone up after he removed the free version of the store. Correlation is not causation, but that’s interesting.

Jim Dalrymple on Android vs. iPhone Market Share Arguments 

Jim Dalrymple:

There is no compelling argument that anyone can give that says that comparing an operating system to a hardware device makes sense. None.

Did Apple Buy iCloud.com Domain Name? 

Om Malik:

Until recently, iCloud.com was a domain name and a storage-as-a-cloud service owned by Linkoping, Sweden-based desktop-as-a-service company, Xcerion. Xcerion’s iCloud service has just been rebranded to CloudMe, and the company acquired the CloudMe.com domain on April 5, 2011.

My source, who is familiar with the company, says that Xcerion has sold the domain to Apple for about $4.5 million. Xcerion hasn’t responded to my queries as yet. At the time of writing, the Whois database showed Xcerion as the owner of iCloud.

Push Pop Press: Al Gore’s ‘Our Choice’ 

This is the book I saw in beta form back in January, prompting me to write this piece on Push Pop Press’s phenomenal design and experience work. It’s a good book, judged simply by its content, but anyone who works in UI design ought to buy this if for no other reason than to study its design. $4.99 on the App Store.

Makes Me Wish I Still Did the ‘Jackass of the Week’ Bit 

Anton Wahlman, writing for The Street:

We Apple investors typically view Steve Jobs’ health as the biggest risk to the stock, but there’s a potentially greater threat: Google’s new operating system.

No, I’m not talking about Android.

I’m talking about Chrome OS.