To Kill an Android

Back when the first-generation iPad was released, Apple somehow opened the world to new computing possibilities through tablets. And, like any Apple release, this created a market with a solid number. As an attempt to enter the market, Samsung released a 7-inch tablet, the Galaxy Tab built with Google’s Android.

However, it is visible enough that its release didn’t put a serious dent on Apple’s market share. Other tablets were released but Apple still managed to hold onto their share of about 70-80%.

Last Friday, a rather tragic day because of the earthquake an tsunami in Japan, Apple released its new-generation “Thinner. Lighter. Faster.” iPad 2. But what’s more amazing is that they managed to price it starting $499. With all the features, upgrades, specs, and, more importantly, fixes they are boasting, it is such a wonder that the device manage to end-up having that price. Given the price that Samsung’s Galaxy Tab has, it is almost foolish to opt for it over the iPad 2.

Sources state that it costs Apple about $340 to make the most basic model. This doesn’t include marketing, promotion, etc. Basically, it is a give-away. Apple reasons that it is the App Store that more than covers everything. Still, it raises the question whether Apple created the iPad 2 as an attempt to kill the Android.

This only not questions the Android platform but also the general future of tablet computing. Samsung’s new 11-inch tablet will have a very questionable fate given what already is and the possible market price.

As it stands, it would seem as if Apple is attempting to monopolize a market that it already holds the majority of. We can only wonder, and hope for something good, what any competition can come up with to even be called “competition”.

I love, love, LOVE iTunes8

Well, it’s not like I didn’t love using iTunes before I got iTunes 8. I’ve been using this player from long even if I don’t own an iPod. I don’t know how I got into it but I think my first one was iTunes7. I was totally using the player cuz of its interface and it’s like the existence of a Windows Media Player in my system was totally ignored – almost like I didn’t use it; except when some WMA files come around that I just wanna hear and wouldn’t bother storing it. Same case with the Firefox and the IE – I didn’t bother to use the IE; the Fox’s just way better.

Well, back to iTunes, I believe the two biggest updates from 7 to 8 was the Genius, which was the part that got a bigger advertising, and the visualizations. At first I didn’t bother to get the update cuz of reports of how much disk space it can eat up. I wonder why I tried – maybe because of too much advertising for Genius. I was a bit disappointed cuz Genius needs an internet connection which ain’t perpetually available for me. But, I wonder when it happened, I got to check its visualizations and I was like, “WOW! This is totally awesome!” I was totally amazed. Even if Genius won’t work for me as much, the iTunes8 visualization more than makes up for it. The colors are just too cool! And it was just too good that the first time I tried it, it was on a beautiful amazing display of blue and silver – colors that really appeal to me.

I thought it was just some overlay and I can’t take screenshots – they’re awesome and worthy of use as wallpapers. Today, March 31, 2009, I tried and I wasn’t disappointed – screenshots are not disallowed! Yey! It’s just too awesome… I’ll keep on looking out for good ones – yeah, it’s the kind of visualization I can watch. I can call whoever designed it, a “genius”; he/she/they deserve it…

Oh, and even if I don’t love seeing pinks, reds, or anything close to such colors, I can ignore ‘em in the play of colors presented by the visualization…

Here are a few screens, for starters, if you can’t believe my words…

Awesome!

So's this!

And this...

Ok, maybe I presented too much hype. Yeah, it ain’t perfect and I sometimes call some songs weak cuz the visuals ain’t as beautiful, ain’t as awesome, ain’t as grand… But it’s all too good to ditch. Awesome, awesome, AWESOME!