Retro Tech Tuesday: Apple's 2000 Internet Strategy

Today we turn back the clock just a bit, to 2000. Only nine years ago, yet somehow it feels like an eternity in internet time.

It was in 2000 that Apple announced some exciting plans for the internet. Those plans included iReview (iWhat? the newer mac users ask) which was a site for reviews of sites, as well as perhaps the most dated part of their announcement was "a multi-year partnership and investment with Earthlink for Internet access." As crazy as that sounds now, at the time, it actually made a lot of sense. Apple needed to ensure that Mac-friendly gateways to the internet existed.

Another forgotten announcement from that time: KidSafe. As Apple described it:

KidSafe specifies what kids can see, rather than trying to filter out what they shouldn’t see. KidSafe downloads a software module into the computer’s operating system, which then verifies that each requested web destination is KidSafe by checking with Apple’s KidSafe server. Apple’s server contains over 50,000 KidSafe sites, with over 10,000 new sites being added per month. All KidSafe sites are approved by certified teachers and librarians. KidSafe can also disable Internet email, chat sites and games.

Today's youth run amuck, and it's clearly Apple's fault for killing off KidSafe! Seriously though, it was an interesting feature to sell parents on getting a Mac, and it's a little surprising it didn't carry over to the paid .mac and later MobileMe services.

Want to check out the rest of the iTools features? Here's the original press release, still available on Apple's site.

What Do We Want a Tablet To Do?

A tablet from Apple. It's been one of the longest running rumors in Apple history, right up there with the iPhone. I have to say though, the iPhone rumors were far more exciting. Why? We all knew Apple would take something we use everyday, and transform it into something far more sophisticated/useful/powerful. Who was thrilled with their cell phone circa 2004-2007?

The tablet rumors though, have always lacked a bit of the same enthusiasm. Yes, many of us are excited to see what Apple will bring to the product space, but very few people are using tablets now, and so the anticipation of a product that will transform the product category isn't nearly as great. 

While the iPod was introduced at a time when mp3 players weren't yet popular, people were already building collections of mp3's, and clearly the idea of having all your music with you is appealing to the masses.

Which brings us back to the tablet. The last time Apple introduced a product in a category very few people were dabbling in, we got Apple TV, which Jobs famously referred to as a "hobby" once it became clear this wasn't an out-of-park hit like the iPod or iPhone.

One of the problems with a tablet is it's hard to get a handle on exactly what we as consumers want it to do. Do we want it to be a device for watching/streaming media? Wouldn't be easier/cheaper/and more convenient to stream to a large TV instead? Do we want it to be a kindle competitor? If e-reader is the main function of the tablet, again it looks like Apple is dipping into a market that may not actually be there. What about rumors of it being pressure sensitive to be used as a graphics tablet? While that would be nirvana for some, it seems those people would constitute a tiny percentage of all computer users. The same goes for rumors of the ability to use the tablet as a second screen with your Mac. Wouldn't a larger/bigger second screen be a better buy?

Again, there are small groups who would inevitably want the device for these reasons, but for the masses these are mostly tacked on features that would not alone make the device compelling enough to buy. The modern Apple philosophy involves selling tons of widgets to the masses (why do you think we never saw that "Asteroid" audio interface box?) rather than obscure products aimed at small groups.

When you can do so much on the iPhone now, and the idea of carrying a second, bigger device with you outside the house seems unlikely in 2009, (remember Palm's nixed Folio?) and with laptops getting thinner,lighter, more powerful, the question becomes what will the tablet do? What will be the show-stopping feature/use that makes millions of people wonder how they ever lived without this device? Well, we don't know. The computer industry has matured so much in the last five years, thanks in large part to Apple, but also to netbook developers, that it isn't clear beyond design and dozens of niche-specific uses, just what will be the missing piece of the puzzle that will be filled by a tablet?

What do you think? Let us know in the comments.

Five Little Apple Annoyances

No, we're not talking about the app store approval process, or the high priced RAM options. Today we look at five minor Apple annoyances, most of which could be fixed quickly/easily. In no particular order:

1. The location of the Refresh Button in Safari 4. You have those back and forward navigation buttons, along with the bookmark button etc, all over on the left. Why would you make the decision to move arguably the most-used button, the refresh/reload button to the far right of the address bar? Moving it is one thing, but at least give us an easy way to move it back if we like. I'm pretty sure the old user interface guidelines would suggest against placing one button 3/4 of the screen away from the rest of the similar navigation buttons.

2. Pictures that can't be rotated properly on the iPhone. This one is a little hard to describe, but if it's happened to you, you'll know exactly what we're talking about. If you take a screenshot on your iPhone (press the home button and top button simultaneously) and the content is in a widescreen mode, then the rotation is always 90 degrees off. Unfortunately, there isn't a way to correct the rotation until you get the image to your computer.

3. No Twitter name field in Address Book. We said these were little annoyances, and maybe this could be considered more of a feature request. It would be great to have a twitter field within Address Book. There are people I communicate with far more frequently this way than by cell (annoyance # 3b: the use of "mobile" for the cell number. If mobile is a more popular distinction in some countries, then localize it. I always say "try his cell" not "try his mobile.") and it would make sense to make it easy to integrate this contact info.

4. Notebook heat. This one come from BigGuyD on twitter: "MacBook Pros can burn the hair off your legs and cook eggs at the same time they get so hot." The use of metal materials for laptops notebooks is great, but surely those minds at Cupertino can find a way to keep the heat transfer to skin in check.

5. No Keynote Livestreaming. This one is near and dear to our hearts. Come on, Apple, roll back the clock to 2000 when bandwidth was costly and you DID stream the keynote. Your friends at Akamai can now stream right to the iPhone. You should give them a call. I hear they can stream to tablets too.

Bonus:

90 days of phone support. Recently Laptop Magazine awarded Apple an 'A' for their tech support. The only glaring issue was Apple's last-placed 90 days of free phone support. Extend it to at least 180 days, or even a year. Too expensive you say? Maybe, just maybe this would cut down on the chaos at the Genius Bar. Just a thought.

What do you think? What little Apple annoyances get under your skin? Let us know in the comments.

Apple's Latest Patent: Protecting the Honest, or Needlessly Invasive?

The good folks over at AppleInsider are reporting on a recent patent from Apple: "Consumer Abuse Detection System and Method." In short, and as the name implies, this would be a patented system allowing a device (say, an iPhone) to record when it is placed in perilous situations: extreme cold/heat, drops, liquid exposure, etc. Before we go any further, keep in mind this is simply a patent at this point, and we have no information on Apple planning to use this in any product at this time.

Apple already uses liquid sensors in the iPhone, but those low-tech stickers that change color when exposed to water, aren't perfect. There are reports that simply living in a humid climate over time, could change the color of the sensor.

Is Apple's patent aimed at simply making a more accurate recording of events they are already trying to record, or does this go further? How would one know whether they have voided the warranty? If I drop my iPhone onto the pavement, but it continues to function normally, later if there's a problem, would I be rejected because of single incident perhaps a year earlier? Would there be some unwritten rule about how many drops would be deemed acceptable? Would it be shrouded in mystery like the old dead pixel policies for Apple monitors?

I can tell you from working at the store that probably 90% of the time, it is obvious when an iPhone/iPod has been abused. Is catching that other 10% worth the expense and PR issue the new system could bring?

Can Apple and Google Still Be Friends?

www.junkfoodclothing.comTime is reporting that Google CEO Eric Schmidt has resigned his position on the Apple Board of Directors. And on Friday, the FCC sent letters to Google, Apple, and AT&T trying to get to the bottom of why the Google Voice app had been rejected. Add to that the Android OS for mobile phones, and it looks like it might be time for these two companies to start seeing other people.

But are there even any other people to see? Let's say the two companies wanted to part company completely. Could it even be done? Imagine Safari with Bing search by default, or maps on the iPhone by MapQuest. Google might just hold the upper hand when it comes to having the name recognition and "coolness" factor of apps iPhone users would expect.

On the other hand, if Google's services were only available on Android phones, then Google would have their own anti-trust issues to worry about.

While the Google Voice app rejection remains a mystery, (and a story we didn't cover, with the belief it would be quickly resolved) the bigger mystery is how can two companies that rely on each other so heavily delicately dance between collusion, alienation of other partners, and all-out phone wars?