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Apple: The “iPhone Wait” and the “iPad Effect”

July 19th, 2011

The iPhone Wait

Rumors are already starting to swirl about Apple’s iPhone 5, including a new design “paradigm” blending elements you see (and feel) on the MacBook Air, the fourth generation (4G) iPod touch and iPad rentals. Stricter adherence to the rounded sides, bevels and chiseled look of the reigning “Apple style” suggests the glass back may be a goner in a new, all metal case.

Media attention has moved to its other products since Apple refreshed its industry-leading iPad and upgraded its computer lines recently (CRE Rentals reported on the new iMacs in this blog). Besides some talk about increasing the screen size – which may not happen simply because there is only another millimeter or two it could possibly grow – the big question about the iPhone 5 is the same soon-to-be-ubiquitous acronym everyone else is talking about: NFC, for Near Field Communications.

Verizon, ATT&T and T-Mobile started working on an NFC payment system last year. Named “ISIS,” the proposed system would let people use everything from smart phones to tablet PC rentals for making purchases. ISIS has stalled for now, but some system or other will be ready within a year, especially since every Blackberry will have NFC starting this fall and Google is set to integrate NFC into Android before the year is gone. The only sure thing you can say about NFC and the iPhone 5 is that it’s too early to say – for now.

The iPad Effect

The “big box” electronics stores have been increasing the amount of floor space used for displaying tablets, space previously dedicated to traditional desktop and laptop PCs like iMac rentals. Best Buy is overhauling display areas in its U.S. stores, with new tablets like Samsung’s Galaxy Tab, Motorola’s Xoom and the Hewlett-Packard TouchPad earning prominent placement.

This is due to the overwhelmingly successful, industry-changing iPad. The “iPad Effect” is allowing electronic retailers to stock more tablet models (like iPad, Galaxy Tab and Xoom) and carry wireless e-book readers from such makers as Acer, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, HTC and RIM.

At CRE, we stay updated and educated on everything from the latest geek gadgets to the high-end post-production gear like render farm rentals, and can outfit your office, your digital darkroom or your next conference breakout session room. Call or e-mail an experienced Account Executive or use our Quick Rental Quote form, and get the solution you need – the right one, right now. That’s how we roll!

iPad at Work

April 12th, 2011

Some of the comments about Apple’s iPad, now in its second release, sound a bit like what people were saying 25+ years ago about the Macintosh. “Not ready for the office,” say some. “A toy,” others chime in. We’re here to tell you that iPad rentals are not just big iPods – they are ready to help you work, right now, if you know your way around the device. Here’s a good place start…

Already ready to rock in business

Businesses have adopted e-readers quickly, and the iPad is an e-reader on steroids. If only for its ability to offer up reading materials such as magazines, books, newspapers, manuals and other information, it’s a must-have. At least some of the field personnel that once had to tote heavier tablet PC rentals or even full-size laptops (which still have their important uses) can now carry service libraries, support materials, special apps and even video tutorials on a much lighter iPad.

Creating, revising and then making presentations is a core business activity, and marketing mavens and sales pros already love the iPad. With a simple adapter or even wireless protocols you can stream your iPad materials to LCD monitor rentals at meetings or conferences. You also have a “portable presentation” right on the iPad for presenting to individuals or small groups and, yes, the speaker is loud enough for everyone to hear.

Good tools now, great ones coming

Apple has already released a version of its productivity suite, iWork, for the iPad. It is a challenge to create your best work on a 9.2 inch screen, but you can easily edit and display documents created in iWork’s modules (Numbers for spreadsheets, Pages for word processing, Keynote for presentations). There are tens of thousands of other apps, too, among which are a growing number of solid business programs. However, there is not yet a “killer app” for note-taking, and Apple did not build handwriting recognition into the iPad.

Whether or not software alone will bring handwriting recognition to the device remains to be seen, but there are already plenty of note-taking apps, even some “blank page” apps allowing on-screen drawing and writing. You are advised to get a stylus with a fine point if you intend to use your iPad this way, as “fingertip script” is big, clunky and hard to read. You can get voice-memo recording apps, too, but if you intend to do a lot of audio recording, CRE’s digital recorder rentals will help you reserve iPad storage for other important things.

Video calling, first-rate GPS, handwriting recognition, versions of leading office programs – the future is looking bright for the iPad, even before the release of the iPad 3 in another year or so. Call or e-mail an expert Account Executive and find out how the iPad can integrate into your unique workflow. If you know what you need, iPad or otherwise, use our handy Quick Rental Quote form.

Interactive Interfaces and New Input Tools

April 5th, 2011

The miniaturized sensors and controls that let you interact with your digital devices in new ways are known as Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS). The first consumer products with it were games like the Nintendo Wii. It is MEMS technology, too, that tells iPad rentals to switch screen orientation (to/from portrait or landscape) when you rotate them.

Alternative input is a subject we’ve covered before (and will stay on top of for you). Whether it’s in a product like Apple’s Magic Trackpad or Xbox Kinect-style motion sensing, these methods are being grouped under the name “gesture control.”

Physical gestures to control a PC

Trackpads on PC laptops have lagged behind those on MacBooks and MacBook Pro rentals, but the gap is beginning to close. Synaptics TouchPad In 2010, Synaptics debuted a button-free, clickable trackpad, and has since upgraded the TouchPad-IS product with four-finger gestures and more.

As these new capabilities reach manufacturers, and then your office, you will discover a more intuitive and productive way of controlling your PC. You can discover it right now, of course, by getting the Magic Trackpad with one of CRE’s iMac rentals. The Magic Trackpad is a wireless Bluetooth device that recognizes the multi-touch and multi-finger gestures, swipes and “zoom pinches.”

Virtual controls to track finger movement

Camera-based input and control techniques are being developed by a growing number of firms. GestureTek Inc. has applications on the market that promise new efficiencies for challenging digital workflows. The company’s AirPoint controls computers by tracking the movement of your fingers in 3D space, so controlling multimedia presentations, for example, requires nothing more than simple hand motions. As an online product demo shows, AirPoint is quite accurate at short distances.

The firm’s patented 3D vision-tracking technology, GestPoint Maestro 3D, tracks both body movement and hand gestures in 3D space, allowing device control from up to 10 feet away. The technology can be scaled to work on smart phones, specialized tools like CRE’s tablet PC rentals, desktop computers and other devices. Expect “killer apps” in such areas as vehicle and appliance controls, home environmental systems and robotics – and, of course, computers.

Eye movement tracking in the future

A Swedish company, Tobii Technologies, has a dramatic new kind of interface/input system. Using an array of infrared sensors, the system tracks the user’s eye movement with such speed and precision that product testers called the mouse “an antique.”

Before long, CRE’s clientele will enjoy improved control over the many digital duties they discharge on Mac Pro rentals and other high-end tools. Alternative input methods are among the many exciting changes on the horizon, and a simple call or e-mail to our experienced Account Executives can get you up to speed As always, use the Quick Rental Quote form if you know what you need.

Eye on the iPad 2

March 1st, 2011

Rumors encircle Apple like moths surround a flame, and you’re well advised to ignore most of them. Recently, however, the Wall Street Journal put its imprimatur on a story coming out of China about the new iPad. WSJ reporters discovered that China’s Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. – “Foxconn”, the well known trade name under which it builds various Apple devices – is already assembling the second-generation iPad.

Retina Display technology a no-show

iPad 2 With a faster processor, at least one built-in camera (likely the same as on our MacBook Pro rentals) and a thinner, lighter form factor, the iPad 2G (it probably won’t be called that) fills in many of the blanks in the original product. One feature that Apple fans hoped for, the Retina Display technology that makes the iPhone screen so magnificent, did not make the final cut. It is likely that the component cost was too great, as the iPad already commands a premium price between $499 and $829. New pricing has not been set.

There will also be more user memory and more potent graphics processing, WSJ reported. In addition to direct channels and CRE’s own ever-popular iPad rentals, the new model will be available from Verizon Wireless and AT&T. Sprint and T-Mobile are left out in the cold, at least for now, while the Apple-approved carriers hope for a repeat of iPad 1′s astonishing success, a 10-month sales tsunami that pushed Apple into the #1 PC maker slot for the year 2010. For wireless carriers, of course, tablets are becoming an important alternative means of selling profitable “data plans.”

Apple is booming

Since its April 2010 release, the iPad has sold 14.8 million units, and Apple’s most recent financial results (for the quarter ending in December) show the device accounting for 17% ($4.6 billion) of the firm’s $26.74 billion in quarterly revenue. That sales figure, by the way, is up 70.5% over the same period last year, while profits, at $6 billion, are up 77.7%. It won’t be long before iPads account for more Apple income than Macintoshes.

Industry watchers expect the revamped iPad to debut by summer 2011 with a price range paralleling the current line-up (with the original iPad becoming the “budget” model, perhaps?). Technology analysts at Piper Jaffray & Co., a leading international investment and securities firm, estimate that Apple will move 27 million iPads of both generations in 2011, while other observers say the Cupertino company could sell as many as 35 million units.

At CRE Rentals we stay abreast of the new technologies and techniques that make you more productive, no matter what “the economy” does. We make these tools available as rentals to spare you the endless expense of buying leading-edge equipment (while sparing Mother Earth another truckload of e-waste). Call or e-mail an experienced Account Executive, or use the Quick Rental Quote form. We’re ready to go if you’re ready to grow!

Touchscreen – Touch of Class, Touch of Genius

January 27th, 2011

Touchscreen technology now works on screens of all sizes, so it’s turning up everywhere. CRE has a range of touchscreen devices, because there are many ways they can help you. We’ve blogged about touchscreens before, but here’s a review of CRE’s wide-ranging touchscreen capabilities, from “small” to “extra large.”

Small touchscreen

CRE Rentals iPad rentals show just how good touch technology has gotten. Like the iPhone and iPod Touch, the device runs iOS 4.2 for integrating into any digital workflow. It’s great for sales pros, department managers and conference-goers, as there are few better tools for staying in touch, scheduling, collaborating and showing presentations – on the go and without an extension cord.

The iPad is already so potent that you can plan a conference with it, and when it debuts “sometime in 2011″ the upcoming iPad 2 will sport two cameras that definitely make it ready for prime time. More importantly, it will be ready for FaceTime, the videochat app with a version for every Apple computer and “iDevice.”

Medium touchscreen

When you need first-rate tablet PC rentals, go with the company that set the standard: Motion Computing. The workhorse portable that CRE rents has a fast Intel Core 2 Duo processor and weighs just three pounds. It features a 12.1-inch UltraView screen, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and twin batteries for extended use.

You also get a choice of OS (Windows XP or Ubuntu Linux). This unit excels at the demanding regimens of doctors, warehouse professionals, sales reps, meeting/event planners and others needing portable power and total connectivity in a tough, dependable package.

Large touchscreen

The Sony VAIO L, a special member of our computer rentals lineup, offers a giant 24-inch multitouch screen. Get a few for your next trade show booth so potential customers can “touch” their way through product and service offerings. The simplicity of the interface and endless variety of Windows programs also make the VAIO L perfect for customer service and order-taking duty.

CRE also has interactive kiosk rentals with touchscreen interfaces. Kiosks can extend your reach beyond your exhibit to other high-traffic areas, displaying presentations or offering touch-to-see options. The communication goes both ways, too, so the kiosk will also take contact information for later use.

Extra large touchscreen

For your breakout session or presentation, nothing holds attention like 42″ HD touchscreen LCD monitor rentals. With infrared touch technology, this sleek touch-sensitive display recognizes multi-touch gestures for onscreen interaction. The high definition resolution and ultra-wide viewing angle make it an ideal “digital signage” display for all types of events. It just gets better when you connect it to a MacBook laptop for a “super-sized” iPad feel.

Are you ready to add a touch of class to your next event? CRE Rentals can help you get the right touch. Just call or e-mail or submit our Quick Rental Quote form to get an Account Executive on the job for you – now!

Interactive and Collaborative Tech Tools

June 10th, 2010

In every phase of your business now – from marketing and prospecting to R&D, from attending trade shows to exhibiting and making presentations at them, as well – you can avail yourself of today’s potent interactive and collaborative technologies. With wireless mobility and real-time connectivity come faster product development and better feedback from clients and prospects, which is good no matter what industry you’re in. CRE can help you leverage this technology to great benefit, no matter where you are or what you are doing.

Apple’s iPad has been getting a ridiculous amount of press, but precious little has been said about serious, productive uses (even in our own first look). Its size, about midway between a smart phone and a netbook, means it has enough screen real estate to do real browsing, writing (with a nice on-screen keyboard or a Bluetooth wireless one), reading and document handling (PDFs, photos, video, etc.). With WiFi-only and WiFi-plus-3G connectivity, you can stay in touch with one, two or 200 colleagues, customers, clients and/or coworkers, wherever you are, to accomplish pretty much whatever you need to do. When the “excitement of the new” wears off, the iPad should be standing tall, regardless, as it really can be a great tool for you, as Adobe proved this week with its release of iPad-specific publishing tools.

Tablet PCs running Windows have been around forever, it seems, and have been refined over the years. It can be argued that the humble tablet PC was a precursor to the iPad, as it combined Wi-Fi, handwriting recognition, a good bit of audio-video capability and ease of use in a mobile (if not pocket-sized) form factor.With CRE’s tablet PC rentals, conference teams or salespeople can run PowerPoint presentations, maintain contact with headquarters, stay abreast of breaking news or take handwritten notes. On site or on the go, a tablet or pad can be a true collaborative tool. Although Windows tablet PC’s typically run a special version of Microsoft Windows XP, CRE can configure your tablet PC with the ever-popular Microsoft Office, or even the Ubuntu version of Linux. CRE features award-winning tablets from Motion Computing, which can also run Windows 7 if you’re a Top Geek, like the fellow in this YouTube video.

A recent CRE blog discussed some of the new technologies finding their way into Audience Response Systems. In addition to tighter integration with MS Office applications, particularly PowerPoint, the leading ARS makers are making much more capable keypads and are allowing input from more and more wireless devices all the time, from smart phones to (yes) the iPad. There are few better methods for getting real-time input from your audience than one of CRE’s Audience Response System rentals.

Despite CRE carrying a number of interactive, collaborative devices, our interactive kiosks are the only products in the CRE lineup that feature “interactive” in the name. Standalone kiosks let you multiply your presence at trade shows, conferences or your own annual shareholder meetings. They can be set up remotely, as well, to run product demonstrations, capture contact information from interested parties, feature surveys, connect job seekers to your firm’s online employment application and 1001 other things.

When it comes to helping you meet the challenges of today’s marketplace, whether it’s with a number of iMac rentals for post-production or some audio-visual rentals for that conference or presentation, CRE Rentals is ready to help. Send an e-mail or make a call to our experienced Account Executives, or fill out our Quick Rental Quote form, and we will get you “interactivated” and “collaborational” in no time.

Advances in Audience Response Systems

May 25th, 2010

When you need feedback from a marketing focus group, a room full of shareholders or a few score people attending your conference breakout session, that’s where CRE’s Audience Response System rentals (ARS) really shine. The Audience Response Systems are fully integrated with Microsoft Office applications, letting you turn a flat, boring PowerPoint slideshow into a two-way, interactive mutual learning experience. A simple, easily installed PowerPoint plug-in enables real-time audience polling, as well as the acquisition, analysis and display of the collected information. And you do it all from within the PowerPoint application.

It is not difficult to get going with the presentation once you have the plug-in installed. It provides a new toolbar that lets you edit professionally-designed templates to your needs. You can change graphics, colors and styles in a few mouse clicks, use the special toolbar to create content fields and choose your settings, quickly and easily. Save your slide, move on to the next one and repeat as needed. Load your finished presentation onto a laptop or desktop computer, then plug into a projector rental, set up your screen and start getting that audience feedback you need.

How does interactive polling work?

Audience Response Systems offer small response card keypads that are wireless and use both IR (InfraRed) and RF (Radio Frequency) technology depending on the model. With the keypads, the audience can answer multiple choice, multiple response, short answer, essay and alphanumeric questions throughout the presentation.

Need to poll the audience from different (even distant) locations in real-time? Now there is remote polling technology that allows a presenter to address and question audiences, either using a web-based polling application (through their iPhone or Blackberry smartphone) or a hand-held keypad. This gives the presenter the capability of combining the remote results with those of the local group. Real-time feedback allows the presenter to keep remote participants attentive and focused by displaying results of their ongoing input.

Expanded uses, expanded capabilities

Audience Response Systems have proven their tremendous value in a wide variety of settings. No longer do seminars, product demos, breakout session presentations or other corporate meetings have to be one-way streets – someone talks, you take notes – now that true real-time connectivity is easily achieved. The old salesman’s saying, that the best salesmen listen more than they talk, is a powerful insight, and an ARS gives you the ability to listen to hundreds of people at the same time, responding with information that your organization really needs to know. An Audience Response System, being fully plugged into the MS Office applications, makes it easy to tally, analyze and display the gathered information.

Ready to interact with your audience at your next meeting? Simply fill out the Quick Rental Quote form, give us a call or send an e-mail and we will take care of you right away. Whether you need audience response, kiosks (another great interactive tool!) or plasma rentals, our objective is to equip you with the best tools available so you can finish on time with excellent results, whatever the task.

iPad vs. Competitive-like Pad, Tablet PC

April 15th, 2010

Apple did it again, apparently. On the first day of availability, the company sold over 300,000 iPads. Apple's iPad As of 10pm Thursday, April 8, the total was approaching 600,000, and between 3.5 and 4 million apps had been downloaded for the device. This has left some tech bloggers and perennially pouting anti-Apple pundits perplexed, as many had predicted a dud.

The “dud” warnings were not all based on insignificant details, however, and the iPad does deserve some smacks for obvious weaknesses – such as having no webcam, doing no multitasking and being, in essence, a big iPhone. Of all these shortcomings, the notion that one has to quit browsing to look up a phone number or send a quick e-mail is perhaps the most distressing, which is why multitasking was the first of the upgrade announcements that got the Apple fan community chatting (even before the first sale).

Where’s the iPad competition?

One reason the competition has been a bit quiet (or, at least, dispersed) is that both the public and the gadget makers call the iPad a lot of different things. This means a range of competitive strategies and no “critical mass” of focused opposition. Is the Kindle book-reader a competitor? Well, for e-book readers, perhaps. Is the Neofonie WePad overpriced, with too few Android offerings? What are the big boys – Dell, HP, Asus, Acer – doing in this product niche?

HP, for its part, sees the iPad’s screen resolution, Wi-Fi capability, long battery life and mid-range cost as strengths that its long-awaited Slate cannot match. On the other hand, its core hardware specs – CPU, hard drive, USB port, SD card slot, front- and rear-facing cameras, a screen that supports digitizer-based input – are clearly to the Slate’s advantage. Of course, it is the seamless, near-magical “Apple user experience” that is the joker in this high-tech deck of cards.

Spec comparison: iPad vs. competitor-like “Pad”

Like the Fusion Garage Joojoo and the WePad, Slate has a 1.6GHz Atom processor that is quite a bit beefier than Apple’s own A4 chip, and will take the HP unit from its Windows 7 Home Premium default installation to any of the many solid Linux OS packages. The USB 2 port and the two cameras are great, too, but Apple already planned for a camera (the spot for it is molded into the iPad case already) and has now addressed other shortcomings that its legions of fans pointed out en masse.

In fact, Apple has already announced plans for a smaller, 5- to 7-inch screen unit, to be focused more on output (music, Web, e-books) than input (typing especially). HP’s Slate has a smaller screen and a netbook standard resolution of 1024×600. Surprisingly for an on-the-go device, HP is coming up 50 percent short in battery life compared to the iPad. The Joojoo and WePad have decent battery life, but when Acer, Asus and some other heavyweights (Nokia? Samsung?) weigh in with their iPad-killers, they had better have more juice than the Slate if they want a good share of this new market.

How do you see the iPad integrating into the corporate environment? Do you plan on using one this year? We’d love to hear from you on this.

In the meantime, when you are faced with crunch time, like a new project with no available workstations, we are here to keep you moving forward. For everything from Mac Pro rentals to tablet pc rentals, and everything you need to attend or exhibit at a convention or conference, call or send an e-mail to our expert Account Executives today. If you know what you need, complete our Quick Rental Quote form now.

Kiosks in Conventions: Today and Beyond

April 1st, 2010

The standalone kiosk has become a mainstay of conventions and typically consists of a computer and touchscreen monitor, housed in a (usually) vertical cabinet. In some models, the kiosk will also contain credit card readers and printers. They can be deployed to deliver or capture information on various products and services. Outside of convention and corporate use, kiosks have literally hundreds of uses, and can be found in airports, malls, retail stores, hotel lobbies and corporate foyers.

Kiosk rentals in the convention space

CRE’s interactive kiosk rentals are used by companies in many ways, particularly as a way of deploying additional “virtual employees” at conventions and events. Some of the obvious uses at conventions include:

collecting names and addresses of people interested in your product or service
dispensing information directly
displaying a slideshow or playing a video presentation.

The newest kiosks include Web connectivity so that a marketing team with their tablet PC rentals can actually update the kiosk contents, download captured data and otherwise manage the device’s various tasks. In fact, quite soon many kiosks will be more akin to what IT people call “thin clients,” meaning there will be limited computing horsepower and storage in the physical unit, and it will take its orders and get its presentation material over the Internet.

Kiosk (rentals) in the future

With continuing advances in multimedia processing, new generations of ever-more advanced tools will further reduce development costs of kiosks while increasing their capabilities. A range of other new technologies – like signature cards, smart cards, 3G/4G cell phone connectivity, etc. – will lead to kiosk solutions yet to be imagined. While this is happening with the standalone kiosk rental model, there are other interesting “kiosk-ish” things happening as a result of touchscreen technology coming to PCs.

For one example, CRE has touchscreen LCD monitor rentals and the all-in-one desktop computer rental (Sony’s VAIO L model) that can be used in kiosk-type ways. By installing some special software, you can create your own kiosk and station it at your exhibit booth’s entrance or on a second table. Your “virtual partner” will help you capture more information from more people, perhaps twice as much, since you would be able to assist more than one person at the same time. There are other creative ways to employ kiosk technology that we will address in a future blogs (so check back).

CRE’s Account Executives are up to speed on all the technologies you need for success on an trade show exhibit floor or convention. Call, send an e-mail or fill out the Quick Rental Quote form and we will help you find the solutions you need to the challenges you face. With CRE, you are never in it alone.

Catching a New Wave with Google

February 25th, 2010

The easiest way to explain Google Wave is to call it an “online collaboration platform”. Various features of chat, texting, e-mail, Wikis, photo-sharing, blogging and instant messaging are brought to bear on a “hosted conversation,” or “wave.” Created by the Google brain trust, it is an open source product that will be integrated in zillions of ways with Facebook, Twitter, other Web sites and other software services. The software is in beta testing and will be released to the public sometime in 2010.

Wave has the potential to be a great tool for conferences and events by offering a collaborative environment. The “waves” — discussions, pictures, drawings, audio notes — can be “threaded” separately and can help event organizers, booth staff and conference attendees manage meetings, develop agendas, share content, capture data, record audio and video, and interact with one another in both planned and improvised ways.

Using the Wave with technology rentals

Google Wave is, of course, a computer tool and users will need good internet access and the right hardware, like CRE’s tablet PC rentals, to make the most of it. With the ability to capture handwritten notes, audio and even video with a small, USB Flip camera, tablets are perfect for staying plugged-in while strolling about a convention or meeting facility. In a seated seminar, laptop rentals would integrate perfectly with your “mobile tablet team,” and your booth in the exhibit hall can be “command central” with a computer rental.

As Wave matures, it is likely that mobile applications will emerge to make “waving” (perhaps there’s a better verb available) possible on cell phones, PDAs and iPads (here is our take on the iPad). During this process, Google will also have to address the various criticisms of Wave, which are to be expected in any new software product. There is a fairly stiff learning curve, although there are a lot of online tutorials from Google and third parties. With the plethora of options and tools, Wave can be a bit daunting at first glance, and there is no way to master it without jumping right in and devoting the time needed.

When you have questions about new technology – especially tools that can help you work more cost-effectively – give our Account Executives a call or send an e-mail. They stay abreast of all new products and services that can help you get your jobs done better. If you know what you need, use our Quick Rental Quote form. It may take time for everyone to catch this Wave, but it looks like it promises to be quite a ride.

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