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Walt Mossberg and Lauren Goode Talk New iPad on WSJ Digits

Walt Mossberg — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 19:27:55 +0000

On WSJ Digits today, Walt Mossberg joined Simon Constable and Lauren Goode to follow up on his review of the new iPad. They cover the spectacular Retina Display, the fast LTE cellular connection, the voice dictation feature, and the long-running battery life.

Check out Walt and Lauren on Digits below:

[ See post to watch video ]

New Apple Software Adds Features to Older Phones

Walt Mossberg and Katherine Boehret — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 01:00:17 +0000

Even for an iPhone owner who chooses not to upgrade to the new iPhone 4S, now there are hundreds of new software features, big and small, for current phones. The same goes for iPads and recent iPod Touch devices. That’s because Apple is making the new phone’s operating system available as a free upgrade to people with existing devices

Eligible models include the iPhone 4 and 3GS; the iPad and iPad 2; and the third- and fourth-generation iPod Touch. A few features only work on the iPad 2 or iPhone 4.

Here are some of the main features in the upgrade:

You can use iCloud to synchronize your data, including music and photos, across your Apple devices.
The ability to edit photos right on the phone. This includes red-eye removal, cropping and auto enhancement of whole pictures.
iMessage, a new, free text-messaging service exclusive to users of iOS 5. It detects whether you are using the new system and routes a text message over the Internet instead of using the standard cellphone text services. It allows group messaging and notifies users when messages are read and/or delivered.
Built-in Twitter support. Without adding a Twitter app, you can tweet directly from within functions like photos, maps, the browser and YouTube.
Notifications of alerts, messages and dates can be gathered together in a drop-down panel, or can appear briefly at the top of the screen instead of displaying one at a time in a box that blocks your screen.
There’s quick access to the camera, by simply double-clicking the home button, even if the phone is asleep. And you can use the volume up button as a shutter button.
On the iPad, the browser has tabs, and you can split and move the onscreen keyboard to make thumb typing easier.
You can create customized typing shortcuts, such as “tks” for “thanks.”
In Mail, you can now format words so they appear in bold, italics or underlined.

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The Steve Jobs I Knew

Walt Mossberg — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 01:50:32 +0000

That Steve Jobs was a genius, a giant influence on multiple industries and billions of lives, has been written many times since he retired as Apple’s CEO in August. He was a historical figure on the scale of a Thomas Edison or a Henry Ford, and set the mold for many other corporate leaders in many other industries.

He did what a CEO should: Hired and inspired great people; managed for the long term, not the quarter or the short-term stock price; made big bets and took big risks. He insisted on the highest product quality and on building things to delight and empower actual users, not intermediaries like corporate IT directors or wireless carriers. And he could sell. Man, he could sell.

As he liked to say, he lived at the intersection of technology and liberal arts.

But there was a more personal side of Steve Jobs, of course, and I was fortunate enough to see a bit of it, because I spent hours in conversation with him, over the 14 years he ran Apple. Since I am a product reviewer, and not a news reporter charged with covering the company’s business, he felt a bit more comfortable talking to me about things he might not have said to most other journalists.

Even in his death, I won’t violate the privacy of those conversations. But here are a few stories that illustrate the man as I knew him.

The Phone Calls

I never knew Steve when he was first at Apple. I wasn’t covering technology then. And I only met him once, briefly, between his stints at the company. But, within days of his return, in 1997, he began calling my house, on Sunday nights, for four or five straight weekends. As a veteran reporter, I understood that part of this was an attempt to flatter me, to get me on the side of a teetering company whose products I had once recommended, but had, more recently, advised readers to avoid.

Yet there was more to the calls than that. They turned into marathon, 90-minute, wide-ranging, off-the-record discussions that revealed to me the stunning breadth of the man. One minute he’d be talking about sweeping ideas for the digital revolution. The next about why Apple’s current products were awful, and how a color, or angle, or curve, or icon was embarrassing.

After the second such call, my wife became annoyed at the intrusion he was making in our weekend. I didn’t.

Later, he’d sometimes call to complain about some reviews, or parts of reviews — though, in truth, I felt very comfortable recommending most of his products for the average, non-techie consumers at whom I aim my columns. (That may have been because they were his target, too.) I knew he would be complaining because he’d start every call by saying “Hi, Walt. I’m not calling to complain about today’s column, but I have some comments, if that’s okay.” I usually disagreed with his comments, but that was okay, too.

The Product Unveilings

Sometimes, not always, he’d invite me in to see certain big products before he unveiled them to the world. He may have done the same with other journalists. We’d meet in a giant boardroom, with just a few of his aides present, and he’d insist — even in private — on covering the new gadgets with cloths and then uncovering them like the showman he was, a gleam in his eye and passion in his voice. We’d then often sit down for a long, long discussion of the present, the future, and general industry gossip.

I still remember the day he showed me the first iPod. I was amazed that a computer company would branch off into music players, but he explained, without giving any specifics away, that he saw Apple as a digital products company, not a computer company. It was the same with the iPhone, the iTunes music store, and later the iPad, which he asked me to his home to see, because he was too ill at the time to go to the office.

The Slides

To my knowledge, the only tech conference Steve Jobs regularly appeared at, the only event he didn’t somehow control, was our D: All Things Digital conference, where he appeared repeatedly for unrehearsed, onstage interviews. We had one rule that really bothered him: We never allowed slides, which were his main presentation tool.

One year, about an hour before his appearance, I was informed that he was backstage preparing dozens of slides, even though I had reminded him a week earlier of the no-slides policy. I asked two of his top aides to tell him he couldn’t use the slides, but they each said they couldn’t do it, that I had to. So, I went backstage and told him the slides were out. Famously prickly, he could have stormed out, refused to go on. And he did try to argue with me. But, when I insisted, he just said “Okay.” And he went on stage without them, and was, as usual, the audience’s favorite speaker.

Ice Water in Hell

For our fifth D conference, both Steve and his longtime rival, the brilliant Bill Gates, surprisingly agreed to a joint appearance, their first extended onstage joint interview ever. But it almost got derailed.

Earlier in the day, before Gates arrived, I did a solo onstage interview with Jobs, and asked him what it was like to be a major Windows developer, since Apple’s iTunes program was by then installed on hundreds of millions of Windows PCs.

He quipped: “It’s like giving a glass of ice water to someone in Hell.” When Gates later arrived and heard about the comment, he was, naturally, enraged, because my partner Kara Swisher and I had assured both men that we hoped to keep the joint session on a high plane.

In a pre-interview meeting, Gates said to Jobs: “So I guess I’m the representative from Hell.” Jobs merely handed Gates a cold bottle of water he was carrying. The tension was broken, and the interview was a triumph, with both men acting like statesmen. When it was over, the audience rose in a standing ovation, some of them in tears.

The Optimist

I have no way of knowing how Steve talked to his team during Apple’s darkest days in 1997 and 1998, when the company was on the brink and he was forced to turn to archrival Microsoft for a rescue. He certainly had a nasty, mercurial side to him, and I expect that, then and later, it emerged inside the company and in dealings with partners and vendors, who tell believable stories about how hard he was to deal with.

But I can honestly say that, in my many conversations with him, the dominant tone he struck was optimism and certainty, both for Apple and for the digital revolution as a whole. Even when he was telling me about his struggles to get the music industry to let him sell digital songs, or griping about competitors, at least in my presence, his tone was always marked by patience and a long-term view. This may have been for my benefit, knowing that I was a journalist, but it was striking nonetheless.

At times in our conversations, when I would criticize the decisions of record labels or phone carriers, he’d surprise me by forcefully disagreeing, explaining how the world looked from their point of view, how hard their jobs were in a time of digital disruption, and how they would come around.

This quality was on display when Apple opened its first retail store. It happened to be in the Washington, D.C., suburbs, near my home. He conducted a press tour for journalists, as proud of the store as a father is of his first child. I commented that, surely, there’d only be a few stores, and asked what Apple knew about retailing.

He looked at me like I was crazy, said there’d be many, many stores, and that the company had spent a year tweaking the layout of the stores, using a mockup at a secret location. I teased him by asking if he, personally, despite his hard duties as CEO, had approved tiny details like the translucency of the glass and the color of the wood.

He said he had, of course.

The Walk

After his liver transplant, while he was recuperating at home in Palo Alto, California, Steve invited me over to catch up on industry events that had transpired during his illness. It turned into a three-hour visit, punctuated by a walk to a nearby park that he insisted we take, despite my nervousness about his frail condition.

He explained that he walked each day, and that each day he set a farther goal for himself, and that, today, the neighborhood park was his goal. As we were walking and talking, he suddenly stopped, not looking well. I begged him to return to the house, noting that I didn’t know CPR and could visualize the headline: “Helpless Reporter Lets Steve Jobs Die on the Sidewalk.”

But he laughed, and refused, and, after a pause, kept heading for the park. We sat on a bench there, talking about life, our families, and our respective illnesses (I had had a heart attack some years earlier). He lectured me about staying healthy. And then we walked back.

Steve Jobs didn’t die that day, to my everlasting relief. But now he really is gone, much too young, and it is the world’s loss.

Editors Note: Here is a video of Walt talking about that walk with Jobs:

[ See post to watch video ]

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Essay: Jobs's Departure as CEO of Apple Is the End of an Extraordinary Era

Walt Mossberg — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 01:18:37 +0000

Steve Jobs’s resignation as chief executive officer of Apple is the end of an extraordinary era, not just for Apple, but for the global technology industry in general. Jobs is a historic business figure whose impact was deeply felt far beyond the company’s Cupertino, Calif., headquarters, and who was widely emulated at other companies.

And now, for the first time since 1997, he won’t be the company’s chief executive.

To be very clear, Jobs, while seriously ill, is very much alive. Extremely well-informed sources at Apple say he intends to remain involved in developing major future products and strategy and intends to be an active chairman of the board, even while new CEO Tim Cook runs the company day to day.

So, this is not an obituary. But his health is reported to be up and down, and even an active chairman isn’t the same as a CEO.

CEOs resign every day, so why is this departure so meaningful?

Most people are lucky if they can change the world in one important way, but Jobs, in multiple stages of his business career, changed global technology, media and lifestyles in multiple ways on multiple occasions.

He did it because he was willing to take big risks on new ideas, and not be satisfied with small innovations fed by market research. He also insisted on high quality and had the guts to leave out features others found essential and to kill technologies, like the floppy drive and the removable battery, he decided were no longer needed. And he has been a brilliant marketer, personally passionate about his products.

In his first act at Apple, the company he co-founded in 1976, he helped envision and catalyze the personal computer revolution. The Apple II computer he developed with Steve Wozniak wasn’t the only mass-market PC released in 1977, but it was the one that had the most enduring impact.

In 1984, he again upended computing by leading the development of the Macintosh, the first commercially successful computer to use a mouse and graphical user interface. It cemented the template for how every computer works today, even though Apple was handily bested in the PC sales wars by archrival Microsoft.

After being forced out of Apple in 1985, it’s well known that Jobs ran an unsuccessful computer firm called NeXT. But he also did a couple of game-changing things during that exile. First, NeXT developed an operating system that later morphed into the excellent Macintosh operating system, called OS X, and also the operating system that drives Apple’s mobile devices, called iOS.

In addition, he purchased Pixar, a small computer animation firm which he was able, over years, to turn into one of the world’s most successful movie studios and later sell to Disney for billions. It changed animation forever.

In his most recent act, he returned in 1997 to take over as CEO of Apple as part of that company’s purchase of NeXT. What he found was a diminished company which was reputedly only months from bankruptcy and saddled with mediocre products.

Fourteen years later, the company is a highly profitable behemoth, the most financially valuable and influential technology company in the world, whose every product is eagerly anticipated, snapped up quickly by consumers, and aped by competitors, even though they are often priced higher than rival devices.

While CEO of the revived Apple, he introduced the dominant digital music player, the iPod, and created the most successful digital media service, iTunes. He introduced the first super-smartphone, the iPhone, and the only truly successful tablet computer, the iPad, which is in the process of replacing the laptop, at least in part. And he built the world’s largest app store.

One almost forgets that he built a phenomenally successful chain of retail stores, too.

Apple’s devices and software services have dramatically changed the mobile phone industry, the music industry, the film and TV industries, the publishing industry and others.

Meanwhile, even while declaring that we are in the “post-PC era,” Jobs resuscitated his early baby, the Mac. While it may never become the world’s biggest selling computer, it is lusted after worldwide, and its sales have outgrown those of the overall PC industry for five years running. Plus, with models like the sleek, solid-state MacBook Air, he’s actually merging the tablet and the PC.

Now, rumors are rife that Apple is working on re-inventing another common device: the TV. The secretive company won’t say a word about that, but nobody should be surprised if it happens, just based on Jobs’s track record.

And that’s why the day Steve Jobs resigns as CEO of Apple isn’t like the day a typical CEO resigns.

Here is a video of me taken recently, talking about Jobs’s career:

[ See post to watch video ]

How TouchPad Stacks Up to iPad (Video)

Walt Mossberg — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 01:43:57 +0000

On digits today, Walt spoke with Lauren Goode and Julia Angwin about his review of the HP TouchPad. While the strongest point of the TouchPad is webOS, its poor battery life relative to the iPad, paucity of apps, and numerous bugs are the primary reasons why he’s not recommending the TouchPad over the iPad for most consumers.

During his D9 session, HP CEO Léo Apotheker stated that the company would not release a product that wasn’t perfect. Walt mentioned that this comment might come back to haunt Apotheker as HP tries to penetrate the market dominance of the iPad with the TouchPad.

[ See post to watch video ]

Walt Talks About iCloud With Charlie Rose

Walt Mossberg — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 22:21:14 +0000

This week, post-WWDC keynote, Charlie Rose sat Walt down to discuss the implications and impact of Steve Jobs’s iCloud announcement, and of cloud computing in general. In clip one, Walt lays out cloud computing basics. In clip two, Rose asks Walt about Jobs’s vision of the “post-PC” era.

Mossberg and iPad 2 on Charlie Rose

Walt Mossberg — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 17:49:01 +0000

Walt appeared on The Charlie Rose Show last night, along with David Carr of the New York Times, and discussed the social and cultural impact of the iPad 2. Here are two clips from the show. You can watch the entire interview on The Charlie Rose web site.

First Impressions of iPad 2

Walt Mossberg — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 16:18:28 +0000

After Steve Jobs’ unveiling of the iPad 2 in San Francisco yesterday, Walt shared his initial thoughts with Stacey Delo of The Wall Street Journal.

[ See post to watch video ]

In addition, Walt appeared on WSJ’s Digits show to talk about the iPad 2:

[ See post to watch video ]

And finally, he appeared on Fox Business to discuss the iPad and the Peel universal remote:

Quick Takes on webOS

Walt Mossberg — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 05:51:49 +0000

Following HP’s Think Big, Think Small, Think Beyond event held in San Francisco today, Walt and Katie share their quick thoughts on the new Veer and Pre 3 smartphones and the TouchPad tablet. Walt also talks about the company’s strategy for deploying webOS across its entire product line, from smartphones to tablets to printers and to the desktop.

[ See post to watch video ]

Mossberg’s Best and Worst Products of 2010

Walt Mossberg — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 16:00:53 +0000

This week on WSJ Digits, Walt shared his thoughts on his best and worst reviewed products for 2010.

[ See post to watch video ]

Taking Walt’s top spot this year was none other than Apple’s iPad. For a 1.0 product, the iPad was amazing. With the new iOS 4.2 operating system and its huge selection of apps, the iPad continues to stay ahead of the competition.

High-speed 4G networks in the United States took the second spot. As the world goes more mobile, the availability of faster networks is critical. Today, 3G networks are bursting at the seams, and the promise of these networks will be something to watch closely in 2011.

Tied for third were the Samsung Galaxy S and the Apple iPhone 4. The Galaxy S is representative of the powerful force that Android has become within the smartphone marketplace. Despite no longer being the only game in town and all the initial controversy over its antenna, the iPhone 4 is still the best overall smartphone, according to Walt.

Turning his attention to his worst reviewed products for 2010, Walt gave the Dell Streak tablet a thumbs-down. Calling the Streak a tweener, he believed this Android device was too big to be a phone yet too small to be a tablet.

While no company got it right when it came to integrating the Internet with the television, Google TV was certainly not ready for prime time. Walt felt that it was basically a geek product, with a confusing user interface and clumsy keyboard options. Finally, the TiVo Premiere was another product that failed to meet Walt’s expectations. As a TiVo fan and user, he felt TiVo Premiere, with its cluttered interface, shared Google TV’s shortcomings. Simply put, the execution was not there, and the price was too high.

Walt did stress that these products might be great someday, but 2010 was not their year.

Walt’s Best Products of 2010

Walt’s Worst Products of 2010

Dive Into Mobile in December

Walt Mossberg — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 13:00:17 +0000

Can Google’s Android keep surging without fatally fragmenting? Can Research in Motion get back its mojo? Can Palm be revived inside the Hewlett-Packard monolith? Can Microsoft resuscitate its mobile business? Will local apps and mobile Web sites fight to the death or co-exist? Is the Apple iPad a fluke or will tablets spread like wildfire, threatening laptops?

And what will it matter without better networks, must-have software and a viable advertising model?

These are some of the questions we hope to explore with top mobile industry leaders at the first new edition of our D, conference, to take place December 6th and 7th in San Francisco.

While our main D event, which will continue to occur each year in the late spring, takes a wide view of technology and digital media, this new, shorter confab, called D: Dive Into Mobile, is focused on the most dynamic area of tech–mobile devices and all of the content, apps, social networking and commerce that they support.

Answering all these questions is a strong lineup of leaders in the mobile sector, including Andy Rubin, who runs the surging Android platform at Google; Mike Lazaridis, co-CEO of RIM and the father of the BlackBerry; and Dan Hesse, CEO of Sprint, the wireless carrier that leads in the race to faster 4G networks.

In addition, we’ll be hearing from Jon Rubinstein, who heads Palm; Joe Belfiore, product manager for the new Windows Phone 7; Dennis Crowley, CEO of Foursquare; Mike McCue, CEO of Flipboard; Glenn Lurie, who handles the iPhone and other cutting-edge devices for AT&T; and Susan Wojcicki, the advertising center square at Google.

We’re excited to be doing a deep dive into an exciting topic, using our tried-and-tested technique from eight years of D conferences: No canned speeches, no slides, no large panels–just unrehearsed journalistic interviews on stage, sprinkled with a few demos of interesting new products.

And, this time, we’re adding a fresh twist. In addition to Kara Swisher and me, two of our colleagues, Peter Kafka and Katherine Boehret, will also be conducting onstage interviews.

To learn more, and to register, click here.

Mossberg Discusses the iPhone 4 on "The Charlie Rose Show"

Walt Mossberg — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 15:37:17 +0000

On June 25, Walt was on “The Charlie Rose Show” to talk about the iPhone 4. In a wide-ranging interview, he covered various topics such as the current competitive landscape in the super-smartphone category, the iPhone 4′s biggest weakness with AT&T’s network, the debate between Adobe and Apple regarding Flash, and the future of paid content on the Internet.

Complete iPhone 4 Coverage »

Mossberg Talks iPad on "The Charlie Rose Show"

Walt Mossberg — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 20:03:54 +0000

The day before the iPad was released to the public, Walt Mossberg and David Carr from the New York Times were interviewed on “The Charlie Rose Show” about Apple’s latest device.

[FLOWPLAYER=http://charlierose.http.internapcdn.net/charlierose/digitalgrill_content/040210CRS.flv,380,300]

More iPad Coverage »

Video: Walt Talks iPad, Day Two!

Walt Mossberg — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 18:47:27 +0000

Walt Mossberg was on the WSJ.com’s “Digits” online tech show and also on Fox Business today, expanding on last night’s iPad review. He explains why the Apple (AAPL) tablet could be a “game changer” for portable computing and addresses some key issues not mentioned in his review–including importing photos via the iPad docking port.

[ See post to watch video ]

More iPad Coverage »

More on ThinkPad's New Suit and Google's TV Push

Walt Mossberg — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 19:16:26 +0000

On Digits today, Walt explains Lenovo’s attempt to broaden ThinkPad’s brand appeal with its launch of two new laptop designs, which include a revamped keyboard.

[ See post to watch video ]

He also discusses Google’s lineup of big parters–Sony, Intel and Logitech–for its upcoming foray into the living room.

[ See post to watch video ]

E-Readers: Walt Tells You How To Choose

Walt Mossberg — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:37:50 +0000

Interviewed on Digits today, Walt notes three key features to consider when purchasing an e-reader: Readability, battery life and the ease of purchasing books. He also looks ahead to the next wave of tablet computers that will offer e-reading functionality such as the Apple (AAPL) iPad.

[ See post to watch video ]

Internet Video on TV: A Tipping Point?

Walt Mossberg — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 20:06:25 +0000

Here are two videos from today’s WSJ Digits show. Walt Mossberg provided his thoughts on whether or not Internet video on TV has reached the tipping point. He also gives a brief comment on Sony’s newest line of gadgets that compete with Apple’s iPhone, iPod touch and iPad.

[ See post to watch video ]

Katie Boehret on the Martha Stewart Show–It's a Good Thing

Walt Mossberg — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 22:50:43 +0000

Martha Stewart invited our own Katie Boehret back to her show for a second time this week to share some of her favorite things from the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The following is a link to Martha’s site for the video, which isn’t embeddable at this point, but we promise it’s worth the click. Katie kicks things off with Google Goggles.

Mossberg Discusses the iPad on "The Charlie Rose Show"

Walt Mossberg — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 03:17:01 +0000

Thursday’s “Charlie Rose Show” featured a discussion with Walt Mossberg, David Carr and Michael Arrington about the upcoming Apple iPad. Their wide-ranging discussion covered topics such as the surprising price point, the omission of Flash and Apple’s (AAPL) challenges in this new market.

[FLOWPLAYER=http://charlierose.http.internapcdn.net/charlierose/digitalgrill_content/020410_2.flv,380,300]

First Impressions of the New Apple iPad

Walt Mossberg — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 02:49:41 +0000

It’s about the software, stupid. While all sorts of commentators were focusing on how much Apple’s new $499 iPad tablet computer looks like an oversized iPhone, the key to whether it can be the first multi-function tablet to win wide public acceptance probably lies in whether consumers perceive it as a suitable replacement for a laptop in key scenarios. And that, in my view, depends heavily on the software and services that flow through its handsome little body.

I have only spent a short time hands-on with the iPad–too short to fully run it through its paces and formally review it yet. But, after attending the rollout of the new device today, and trying out some of its features for myself, I have some first impressions.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs positioned the iPad as belonging to a new category of device between the smartphone and the laptop (since the netbook, in his view and mine, is really just a small, cheap laptop). But, as the demos unfolded, I kept thinking it was more like a hybrid of the two.

It uses the iPhone’s basic user interface and physical design. But, taking advantage of a 9.7″ screen and a fast Apple-designed processor, the iPad adds some user interface elements and functionality that aren’t available–or at least typical–on smart phones, but look more like computer software. For instance, its photo program works more like iPhoto on a Mac than the photo app on an iPhone, and it will be available with a touch version of Apple’s iWork productivity suite, which is Apple’s take on Microsoft Office. This is a much more powerful program than the phone-based office suites for the iPhone or BlackBerry, and Apple (AAPL) is only charging $30 for it.

[ See post to watch video ]

Also, Apple has rewritten most of the core iPhone apps so they look more like, and have more of the features of, Mac or PC programs. But they aren’t mere clones of full computer apps. For instance, many forego standard menus for clever overlays and sidebars that work more naturally with the iPad’s multi-touch interface. Other app developers can do this, too. But, even if they don’t, the company said the iPad will run most of the current 140,000 iPhone apps, either in a small window on the screen, or in a full-screen mode. That’s a huge plus for a new device.

Mr. Jobs said after the onstage program ended that he sees the iPad’s user interface as a fuller expression of the one on the iPhone, which had been limited by screen real estate.

And, although the reported video and music streaming services were nowhere to be seen at this preview, Mr. Jobs did offer a taste of how the iPad could deliver content, beyond simply downloads from the iTunes store. He showed off a new e-book reader app with built-in online book store that, visually at least, blew away the Amazon (AMZN) Kindle, even if it seemed to lack all of the Kindle’s features and may have a smaller catalog. Representatives of the New York Times (NYT) showed an iPad digital version of their newspaper that seemed vastly more usable than the clumsy version now on the Kindle and its ilk.

So, the iPad is more than just a giant iPod Touch or iPhone, even though it looks like one. But the question is, will that be enough to get consumers to shell out for it, and make it part of their daily lives? Or will it be a niche product, like Microsoft’s (MSFT) Tablet PC or Mr. Jobs’ own Apple TV?

On the plus side, the device is handsome, feels comfortable and solid to hold, and has all that beautiful software built in. Oh, and it’s amazingly low-priced for an Apple product, with that modest $499 price tag for a base version with 16 gigabytes of memory and Wi-Fi, but no cell phone data connectivity. (A fully loaded model with 64 gigabytes, Wi-Fi and a no-contract 3G cellular data plan is $829, and there are variations in between.)

It also boasts a decent 10 hours of battery life, and Mr, Jobs told me after the event that, for some functions, like playing video and music, the battery should last even longer.

But there are minuses. First, since it’s too big to go in a pocket, people might perceive it as just another thing to carry around, despite the fact that it’s only a half inch thick and weighs just 1.5 pounds. It also lacks a common and popular laptop feature–a web cam. So, it can’t be used for video chats or for the creation of web videos.

Also, the carrier for the iPad’s 3G plan is the deeply unpopular AT&T–there were groans and boos among Mr. Jobs’ otherwise excited audience when this was announced. AT&T is offering bargain prices for iPad data service compared to what it charges laptop owners. But its network is overwhelmed in many big cities and many iPhone lovers, who are strong candidates to buy an iPad, curse the carrier daily.

Finally, while it’s too early for me to say without lots of testing, the size of the iPad’s virtual keyboard may be a liability. I found it almost too wide for thumb typing, and a colleague who’s a whiz at touch typing and tried it briefly found it awkward to type on. Apple is offering an auxiliary physical keyboard that docks with, and charges, the iPad. But you won’t want to lug that around.

Still, the software looked impressive, and that could help Steve Jobs do the one thing even he has never done in an amazing career: get the public to love not just a better version of an existing type of gadget, but a whole new category of gadget.

View the slideshow

A Glucose Meter For the Modern World

Walt Mossberg — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 22:53:26 +0000

In his most recent appearance on FOX Business News, Walt talks about the Contour USB from Bayer, a new glucose meter for diabetics, but one with a modern touch. The tech-savvy Contour also serves as a USB drive, making it easier to track the user’s stats digitally [corrected from an earlier version of this post, which stated that the device automatically uploaded stats]. Bayer’s foray into the wired realm signals a broader move by the health industry to integrate better with the world of consumer electronics.

Walt’s full review of the device can be found here.

Watch the FOX Business video below.

Walt's Digg Dialogg with FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski

Walt Mossberg — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 18:27:06 +0000

Walt recently sat down to interview FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, and asked him the top questions submitted via Digg.com. Check out the entire Digg Dialogg right here (you can also find it on Digg.com):

For brevity’s sake, we’ve also embedded the trailer:

Deciphering Windows 7 Upgrades: The Official Chart

Walt Mossberg — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 03:09:08 +0000

Over the past two weeks, in my Personal Technology columns, here and here, I’ve explained some of the challenges and limitations that will be involved in upgrading an existing Windows XP or Windows Vista PC to the forthcoming Windows 7 operating system, due out October 22. Several readers asked me to publish a chart showing which current versions of Windows could be easily upgraded to which planned versions of Windows 7, and which couldn’t. So I asked Microsoft (MSFT) to supply such a chart we could publish, and the company graciously did so. It is reproduced below, unaltered. You can click on it to make it larger.

Common consumer versions of XP and Vista are listed down the side, and the three (out of a total of six) planned versions of Windows 7 likeliest to be used by average consumers on existing PCs are listed across the top.

Note that ONLY those combinations that intersect in a green box saying “In-Place Upgrade” can be upgraded in a simple way that, in Microsoft’s words, “Keeps your files, settings, and programs intact from your current version of Windows.”

All of the others, denoted by blue boxes, will require what Microsoft calls a “Custom Install,” also known as a “clean install”–a procedure Microsoft doesn’t even refer to as an “upgrade.” For most average, nontechie consumers whose PCs have a single hard disk, that will require a tedious, painful process with the following steps: Temporarily relocating your personal files to an external drive or other computer, wiping your hard drive clean, then installing Windows 7, then moving your personal files back, then re-installing all of your programs from their original disks or download files, then reinstalling all of their updates and patches that may have been issued since the original installation files were released.

Microsoft will provide a free “Easy Transfer” program to assist in this process, but this software won’t transfer your programs, only your personal files and settings.

Walt Mossberg Interview on C-SPAN

Walt Mossberg — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 00:02:03 +0000

Walt Mossberg discusses his Personal Technology column for The Wall Street Journal with C-SPAN’s Brian Lamb on Sunday, July 19, 2009.

The Smartphone Wars

Walt Mossberg — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 18:08:44 +0000

The handheld computer is the new PC–the most exciting, promising new platform for running software and connecting to cloud-based services. What do I mean by a handheld computer? Well, it could be one of the new generation of super smartphones, like Apple’s iPhone–which pioneered the new generation–or phones powered by Google’s Android operating system, or the latest BlackBerries from Research in Motion. Or, it could be a small tablet powered by the iPhone’s OS and user interface; by Android; or by other competitors, like Palm’s new webOS.

What I don’t mean to include in this new class of devices are netbooks running Microsoft Windows, which are just fine, but are really merely small, cheap laptops. Nor do I mean to include the tens of millions of older, less capable, phones labeled “smartphones,” which can be a slippery term.

These devices, like the Palm Treo, older Windows Mobile phones, or older-model BlackBerries, were breakthrough products in their day. But they use wimpier operating systems and less capable hardware than today’s new class of smartphones. They do run third-party apps, but these look primitive compared with, say, an iPhone app.

A battle is shaping up in the next few years to see who will dominate this new handheld platform–who will attract the most users and third-party apps?

So, here’s a quick snapshot of the strengths and weaknesses of the main combatants in the war for the handheld platform.

Apple

Strengths: Having defined this new class of handheld computers, Apple has a huge head start, with 30 million modern devices running a powerful and attractive operating system. That includes 17 million iPhones, plus Apple’s secret weapon: 13 million iPod Touches, which do almost all that an iPhone does, except connect to the cellphone networks. Apple (AAPL) also has an easy-to-use app store, which is now estimated to hold over 30,000 apps that have been downloaded over 900 million times in just about nine months. The iPhone also offers wireless synchronization via MobileMe and Microsoft Exchange, and has had terrific marketing. And rumors persist that Apple is working on a cheaper iPhone, and/or a larger iPod Touch, in a tablet format.

Weaknesses: Apple has three key vulnerabilities. First, there are millions of people who prefer a physical keyboard, which the iPhone and Touch lack. Second, at least in the U.S., the iPhone is tied to a single carrier, AT&T (T), whose 3G network is still lousy in some major areas. Finally, while the iPhone’s $199 price has been good enough to make it a hit, people in a deep recession might respond better to a lower price, even if it was for a stripped-down lesser model.

Research in Motion

Strengths: The BlackBerry is an icon, beloved by many, with a large installed base estimated at over 50 million. The company has made progress in migrating the BlackBerry to consumers from corporate IT departments. It understands the importance of software, and has launched its own Apple-like app store, with a decent initial selection. It has a robust marketing campaign and is available from multiple carriers. Most models have physical keyboards.

Weaknesses: The new BlackBerry app platform leaves out much of the installed base; it only works on BlackBerry models introduced after the fall of 2006. RIM (RIMM) stumbled with its first touchscreen BlackBerry, the Storm. And its app store, and the apps themselves in many cases, are clumsier and less polished than the iPhone’s. Most of all, the BlackBerry desperately needs a major user-interface overhaul. Email addicts who know lots of shortcuts love the UI, but it’s very dated for a world where the device must do more than email. There are way too many clicks, steps and menus, and the browser is still weak. RIM has just hired a new user interface guru who worked at Apple and Microsoft, so it apparently gets this problem.

Microsoft

Strengths: Windows Mobile has a large installed base, with many developers who created lots of apps for older versions of the software platform. Microsoft (MSFT) also plans an app store. The company has also launched a wireless synchronization service for consumers, called My Phone. Unlike Apple or RIM, Microsoft has a horizontal strategy, which places its platform on the hardware of numerous handset makers and carriers. The operating system can work with or without a physical keyboard.

Weaknesses: Windows Mobile is old. It is less powerful than the iPhone OS or Android, and has a user interface that needs a major redo. The company laughed off the iPhone phenomenon, and is now late in catching up. A minor new release is planned for this year, but Microsoft is racing to do a complete overhaul of Windows Mobile, called version 7. Unfortunately, that won’t be out till 2010. The new app store won’t work with current versions of Windows Mobile.

And, currently, Windows Mobile lacks a killer hardware device. The best Windows Mobile phones today are models from HTC that feature HTC’s own software, which works to hide as much of the hidebound Windows Mobile user interface as possible. It isn’t clear that apps built for the HTC user interface will work properly on regular Windows Mobile phones, and vice versa.

Google

Strengths: Android is modern and powerful–different from, but in the same class with, the iPhone OS. It has an app store, and excellent wireless synchronization with Google’s calendar and contacts. Like Windows Mobile, it’s a horizontal product, which can be used on numerous handsets and even tablets or netbooks, some of which are rumored to be in the works. It will be available on multiple carriers, and can work with or without a physical keyboard.

Weaknesses: The first Android phone, the T-Mobile G1, was clunky and didn’t set the world on fire. The Android app store has so far attracted surprisingly few apps compared to Apple’s at the same stage. Some users might balk at the tight tie-in with Google (GOOG). Handset makers can build Android phones that aren’t tied in to Google services, so it will be important to see how these variants fare. Another problem is that, as versions of Android diverge among handset makers and carriers, app developers may face a compatibility challenge.

Palm

Strengths: With a slug of venture capital money, and the leadership of an ex-Apple exec, Palm has reinvented both its software and hardware, after allowing them to grow stale. The new Palm Pre and its new webOS, which will launch this spring, have impressed those who’ve seen them, and appear to have a real shot at competing with the iPhone and BlackBerry. The new platform is built for wireless synchronization and third-party developers, and, unlike the iPhone, and some planned Android models, the Pre combines its touchscreen features with a physical keyboard.

Weaknesses: Even if the phone and OS are hailed once reviewers test them, there are many business issues for Palm (PALM). The company is running on fumes, financially, and its launch carrier, Sprint (S), is hemorrhaging as well. That could make it tough to subsidize the Pre enough to compete on price with the iPhone and BlackBerry, especially if Apple does a cheaper iPhone. In addition, Palm will have to mount a costly marketing campaign to match the advertising machines of Apple, RIM and Microsoft. And it may need financial incentives to tempt developers to write apps for the Pre.

Nokia

Strengths: Nokia is the world-wide leader in cellphones, including smartphones (by the loose definition of that term.) It understands that software and cloud services are key, and has launched an online service called Ovi. There are many older apps already for the Symbian operating system that powers most Nokia models, and Nokia (NOK) is working on an app store. The company is good at hardware, and has huge brand loyalty, at least outside the U.S. And its best known smartphones have physical keyboards.

Weaknesses: Nokia’s software has been inferior to Apple’s and Google’s. To fix this, the company has handed off Symbian to an open-source consortium with a complicated structure. That could make Symbian, and thus Nokia, less nimble than Apple, RIM or Google. Some of Nokia’s competitors will also be using this new Symbian, attempting to differentiate their products with user interface and feature differences. Thus as in the case of Android, there’s a danger that, if variations of Symbian diverge too much, application compatibility could become a problem. The company also has historically been only a minor player in the very important U.S. market.

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The Smartphone Wars

Apple

Research in Motion

Microsoft

Google

Palm

Nokia