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Is Adobe Dumbing Down?

April 24th, 2012

There is always a sense of both excitement and dread when Adobe announces the development of a new product. It’s exciting because Adobe has great products that have helped the firm corner the market for high-end photo-and-image software (Photoshop) and dominate the publishing world (InDesign). These are two superb programs, running on everything from plain vanilla PCs to the beefiest customized Mac Pro rental around.

Of course, the other members of Adobe’s Creative Suite, soon to be at version CS6, are also heavyweights in their respective categories – Illustrator for design, Acrobat for PDFs and Dreamweaver for websites. But Adobe has also put dread in the hearts of its customers by showing signs of “Microsoft Frontpage-itis,” a condition characterized by a dumbing down of software.

With the introduction of Muse, yet another website program, comments in the blogosphere are gaining in number as well as negativity.

Who’s the target?

It’s hard to avoid the conclusion that Muse is aimed at Microsoft Frontpage level users, people who (1) don’t want to drop hundreds of dollars on a top-of-the-line program like Adobe’s own Dreamweaver, and/or (2) will never, ever learn HTML. Muse will compete with Apple’s iWeb, MS Frontpage and a slew of other paint-by-the-numbers website makers from Intuit, Coffee Cup Software and Xara. Adobe will differentiate the product by offering more control, precision placement and power user options. Differentiation and branding in its own product line will be a bit tougher.

Available until release (late 2012?) as a free beta download, Muse is aimed at non-coding web designers who want to work in a powerful WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) environment. “Earth to Adobe, Earth to Adobe: You already have that capability in Dreamweaver!” In Adobe’s existing web program, Dreamweaver CS5, you can split the screen to show both the code and the design preview, or work in one or the other. Like some of the self-contained online site builders, Dreamweaver is an advanced program, but beginners can get decent results with practice.

Rare Adobe misfire?

In fact, if Dreamweaver were just a bit more user-friendly, it could arguably command more market share. What is the compelling case for Muse? Inquiring minds want to know – but will have to wait, perhaps until Muse is headed toward version 2.0. As presently constituted, it is not quite entry-level and certainly not advanced. It’s as if a post-production pro were using floppies (but nice, new multicolored ones) instead of an Xserve RAID for mass storage: Sure, you can do it, but why would you?

We could ask you the same question when it’s time to rent laptops or get state-of-the-art trade show convention rentals. Why would you go anywhere else but CRE? One simple call puts an experienced, expert Account Executive on the job for you. And your visit to the Quick Rental Quote page can get you set up in mere minutes. We’re here, ready to help!

The New iPad: The More Things Change…(Part 2)

March 15th, 2012

In “The New iPad: Some Nice Surprises (Part 1),” we told you about the astounding new Retina display, the faster A5X processor and the impressive camera specifications. These great upgrades, however, may not be required by every user. Are there other reasons to move to the new iPad with the early adopters, or should you play it safe until the first bug reports?

Familiar feel, predicted prices

The new iPad adds but a sliver to the sleekness of the iPad 2. It’s 3/100th’s of an inch thicker (.37 vs. .34) with about 1-3/4 ounces more heft (1.44 vs. 1.33 lbs.), nearly imperceptible increases that should have no effect on day-to-day use. Like the iMac through its history, some upgrades leave the look alone and focus on the insides. If you liked the iPad 2 ergonomically – the design, the look and feel – you’ll recognize the new iPad’s pretty face and svelte body, but you don’t need to upgrade to enjoy these features.

For the new iPad, Apple kept the starting price the same (for the Wi-Fi model with 16GB of flash memory) and lowered its iPad 2 price. You won’t be giving up much if you’re not a gamer and don’t lust for that Retina display. If you do need it, and the cameras, you’ll have the extra oomph of the A5X to get the most from them – but if you have a good cell phone, forgo the 4G model and save some dough. Apple packed every bit of its smarts, style, quality and value into the entry-level price.

What to do?

It comes down to the cameras, the display and the CPU. It’s not like Apple engineers threw everything out and went back to Square One, as they did with the mighty Mac Pro some years back. They took a great product and did a combo update-upgrade with three very powerful improvements. Everything the company learned in years of making Apple Cinema Display rentals went into creating the new Retina display. If you spend time reading and playing high-end games, you are one of Apple’s top upgrade candidates.

Two more types are on that list: people who depend on mobile data networks, and the early adopters and pioneers of tablet photography. The 4G speed jump is far too great to pass up if you work and live online. You can rent laptops to cover the territory, of course, but when you need an iPad, well, you need an iPad! A mobile photographer, on the other hand, commonly uses a PC laptop or a MacBook Pro for processing, indexing, editing and “Photoshopping” – but a solo iPad can be note-taker, indexer, editor, camera and digital lab.

Not convinced? Don’t know what your business should use? Discuss it in a call or e-mail to CRE. Our expert Account Executives know their stuff, and everyone else’s, too. Whether you need audio visual (AV) equipment rentals or high-end post-production gear, CRE is your one-stop shop. And visit our Quick Rental Quote form day or night!

The New iPad: Some Nice Surprises (Part 1)

March 13th, 2012

The rumor mill is closed, the guesses and predictions are old news, and the new iPad is here. It has neither “3″ nor “HD” in its name. It’s “the new iPad” or, simply, “the iPad.” For CRE, iPad rentals will include iPad 2 as well as the model just introduced, which has some serious upgrades. Enough to get every iPad 2 owner to make the move? Let’s find out. Here’s part 1 of a two-part blog all about Apple’s latest core product.

new iPad

The top upgrades

The consensus “killer feature” is the Retina display that debuted on the iPhone, which doubles the pixels of the iPad 2 screen to a bright, sharp 2048 x 1536. The enhanced pixel count blows away the previous screens, and finally competes with other ultra-HD tablets in browsing, reading and especially gaming. The type of tech going into a high-resolution LCD touchscreen monitor rental is now being configured for smaller and smaller devices. Your eyes will be quite pleased with the new iPad.

In addition to having a great new screen – will rumors have it hitting the MacBook next? – the iPad marks Apple’s first “true” 4G device. Much faster than 3G, today’s 4G networks from Verizon and AT&T (which calls it “LTE”) promise video and everything else in a fast, fluid, stable stream. Of course, greater data speed makes it easy to download “stuff,” leading to costly overages, a main gripe against one of the Big Two iPad carriers (AT&T).

CPU, graphics, cameras also improved

As expected, Apple increased CPU power. While most prognosticators claimed the new iPad would have the A6, it has the quad-core A5X processor, which naturally has much in common with both the iPad 2′s dual-core A5 and the quad A6. Now endowed with true “high-def gaming” power, the new iPad moves beyond the level of tablet PC rentals, and pretty close to pricey gamer dream machines like the Razer Project Fiona.

The original iPad had no cameras. The iPad 2′s front-facing one is okay for video chatting, but the back-facing one has under one megapixel for stills. The new iPad now surpasses the MacBook Pro in this department, with a solid 5MP camera for sharp stills and 1080p video, and Apple’s “photo-friendly experience” includes an iOS version of iPhoto. The “tablet photography” sector is brand new, so Apple is intent on conquering it. How? By helping you create as much or more content on the iPad as you consume with it.

Now appearing at CRE, of course, are all the great computers, trade show convention rentals and the high-tech post-production gear that media pros need. One call or e-mail, or one short visit to our Quick Rental Quote form, puts us to work for you right away!

Make sure to check out – “The New iPad: The More Things Change… (Part 2)” – on Thursday, March 15, 2012.

Green Tech Update

March 6th, 2012

The green movement is no longer a fringe phenomenon, but a mainstream business strategy and lifestyle choice. One study shows that 56% of Americans are willing to pay a premium for green electronics that use less energy and are easily recycled. Thus, saving energy while reducing waste is a goal for manufacturers of tech devices, from the high-powered render farms that media professionals rely on, to new laptops that weigh (and cost) less all the time.

A comprehensive “green tech strategy” is unique for every product, addressing energy, cost, waste and sustainability in all phases of its life – R&D, design, manufacturing, marketing and sales, usage and disposal/recycling. Lenovo’s new ThinkPad laptops, for instance, use 10-25% recycled plastic. Apple products, from the entire Macintosh line to CRE’s popular iPad rentals, are designed with great attention to raw materials, advanced manufacturing techniques and easy recycling.

Multiple solutions

Companies are creating both hardware and software solutions. New energy-efficient desktops can run on one-third of the power a four-year-old PC requires. Intel’s new chips are more powerful without using more energy, like the one that appears destined for an updated Mac Pro. There are various methods for keeping computers in low-energy mode until users need more “juice” for tough tasks.

Even mundane products like office equipment rentals get the energy-smart treatment. Hewlett-Packard and other firms are making great progress with printers, scanners and “all-in-ones” that snap out of sleep mode quickly when needed, then go back to snoozing until needed again. Various new energy sources and strategies are being studied, but the best ways to reduce the overall eco-impact of computing are common sense and low-tech:

plug computers, monitors and printers into a single power strip and turn them off when not in use;
set your monitor to darken during inactivity, not run a bright, watt-hungry light show;
keep air slots unblocked, don’t let dust build up inside your PC and “keep it cool” computer-wise; and
extend the useful life of high-tech devices with proper care and maintenance.

We’re getting there

Tech firms need to consider environmental impact when crafting IT solutions and developing products for long, useful lives. Whether it’s a specialized Xserve RAID or something as common as a PC desktop computer rental, when high-tech devices reach the end of their usefulness, manufacturers and retailers work together to ensure that reusable components are properly reclaimed and recycled. Cradle to grave environmental responsibility? Not quite, but we’re getting there!

CRE takes its commitment to the environment seriously, the same way we take every customer question, concern or need. Got a conference coming up where you need to make a big splash with big plasma display rentals? Need some energy-efficient iMac rentals for that new project? One call or e-mail puts an experienced Account Executive on the job for you. If you know what you need, visit the Quick Rental Quote form and be on your way in minutes!

Windows 8: The Home Stretch

February 28th, 2012

Windows 8 is coming. Really! Microsoft has mailed invitations to a media event they are holding at Mobile World Congress 2012. The company will announce some new products, new developments – and new vocabulary. “Beta software” packages, the full-featured versions that follow “Developer Previews” and engage millions of users in debugging the final commercial release, will now be called “Consumer Previews.”

More importantly, though, there’s a change in the Windows “design vocabulary.” Windows 8 is a dramatic “re-imagining” (in Microsoft’s marketing vocabulary) that follows the “design language” of Metro, the user interface (UI) initially developed for Windows Phone 7. Following the lackluster Vista OS, Windows 7 – installed on most every PC desktop computer rental from CRE – offered both cosmetic and operational improvements a-plenty. Elements of desktop and mobile UIs are combined in Metro.

From desktop to mobile

Microsoft typically makes Consumer Previews available on the day they are announced. The company has always had special flavors of its OS tweaked for 1990s handhelds or today’s tablet PC rentals, so its decision to release the Windows 8 Consumer Preview at the Mobile World Congress is a strong signal that the firm will push Windows 8 very hard in the mobile market.

In mid-September 2011, Microsoft released the Windows 8 Developer Preview. In 90 days the unfinished OS was downloaded over 3 million times, more than the total downloads for the feature-filled Windows 7 beta in early 2009. Compared to the Developer Preview, the Consumer Preview targets a broader audience and could account for up to 10 million downloads, given the level of interest and how much is at stake.

Wanted: Bug reports

The Windows 8 Developer Preview was incomplete, but the Consumer Preview should have nearly full implementation of new features. People will install it on all kinds of PCs, as well as on the iMac and every other Macintosh from laptops to towers (since Macs run Windows). Millions of bug reports will help Microsoft refine and finish the product.

There are doubtless a few Microsoft executives, marketing directors and product managers mulling over the following points:

Feedback is mixed – Microsoft has already received tons of feedback about the Metro look and feel. The relatively recent builds demoed at CES 2012 incorporated user feedback in an attempt to blunt the criticism.

Windows “true believers” – A hard-core minority will always resist change, but will have to accept it this time around since the final release will most likely not have a “classic” option.

A new course – Apple left OS 9 and Motorola processors in the dust as OS X matured and the Mac Pro became the media professional’s go-to gear. As Microsoft charts a new course, we’ll keep you posted as we follow along!

CRE is a leader, not a follower, when it comes to providing post-production gear, trade show rentals, A/V equipment, plasma display rentals, touch screen PCs, workstations and computers. Call or e-mail an Account Executive, or use our Quick Rental Quote form, to get the right tool for the right job – right away, too!

The iPad 3 Is Coming… Really!

January 12th, 2012

Sure, Apple will continue to upgrade its Macintosh line in the coming year, with the next changes in the iMac likely to be with the display (as well as a cosmetic facelift). The potent Apple portables, with the MacBook Pro rental at the top of the food chain, will probably get some “evolutionary” refinement, but no major changes. So what insanely great changes are coming up this year?

Apple’s 2012 strategy

The real action at the Cupertino company in 2011 was with its iOS devices, which will continue to be the firm’s big newsmakers in 2012. One thing we know: iPad rental will have a “3″ at the end of its model name. It seems pretty clear that Apple’s big-ticket product in the first half of 2012 will be the iPad 3, with the iPhone 5 debuting in the second half of the year. We will take a look at the iPhone in an upcoming blog – the iPad 3 is the first order of business this year.

iPad3

Despite the proliferation of mobile devices like tablet PC rentals, Apple will doubtless continue to rule the market in tablets (and smart phones). There are literally dozens of iPad-centric sites, but the original is iLounge, and its recent coverage of iPad 3 rumors (and others) is cautious and thankfully un-hyped.

Where was iPad 2 weak?

The iPad 2 added some potent new features to the original model, but still failed to live up to several expectations. The dual-core A5 chip was a bona fide improvement, but both cameras in the iPad 2 are somewhat underwhelming compared to some competitors. Not for long. All this will change with third iteration of the iPad, which will likely feature an A6 processor and new, high-definition cameras, probably the same ones that will end up in a revamped MacBook rental line, too.

When the new iPad does launch, it will probably cannibalize sales of the iPad 2. However, this gives Apple the opportunity to place its legacy model in the mid-range tablets market, currently topped by Amazon’s new $199 Kindle Fire. Despite a great deal of speculation about Apple introducing a “mini” version of its hit tablet, or putting the iOS in a downsized MacBook Air, but there has been no evidence of this being seriously considered.

CRE Rentals stays abreast of technology and supports all your important work, from intense post-production tasks with an AJA Io HD to conference breakout sessions with our first-rate trade show convention rentals. Our expert Account Executives will respond swiftly to your call or e-mail, or you can speed things along even faster with our Quick Rental Quote form. When you’re ready, we’ll be here to help!

Microsoft’s Map for the Future

December 20th, 2011

Microsoft has many customers, clients, fans and followers around the world to go along with its huge market share. And it seems like all of them are already excited about what 2012 holds for the Redmond firm. The Windows operating system (OS) passed a billion installed units, worldwide, back in 2007, and is the OS of choice for our all-in-one multitouch display PC and other leading-edge computers.

Microsoft Cloud Computing Microsoft has leading products in a number of other categories and 2012 promises new versions of many of them. The enterprise market (read “big business”) is huge for Microsoft, and in the coming year the company will release SQL Server 2012 and System Center 2012. IT executives and managers will need to stay on top of these changes, especially as they will be rolling out while the whole “cloud” thing is being settled.

Windows 8 at the gate!

It is the upcoming Windows 8, though, that will affect most people directly. Last Thursday’s blog addressed the fact that the look and feel of “tablet tech” is coming to the desktop OS, and this is nowhere more controversial than with Win8. Microsoft is quite conscious of the “consumerization of IT,” realizing that people want to use a tablet, smart phone, iPad rental or other web-connected device in the office. People also want safe, simple access to their business documents, apps and e-mail when they are not in the office.

Microsoft wants to be in the middle of all of this “cloud action.” The company is positioning itself as the go-to cloud provider, both public and private. Push-button simple, with built-in access and control – that’s the idea. With Windows, SQL Server and the rest, Microsoft provides an inter-operating set of technology services to connect private and public clouds, and enabling easy transitions between them. Users of the Mac Pro and other Apple CPUs can join all the fun by running Windows on their computers, too.

System Center – technology bridge to the future

System Center 2012 will be a core part of the “technology bridge,” with such new features as App Controller for cross-cloud monitoring. Microsoft is developing a major security feature for IT managers, namely, how to ensure access to business documents via cloud-ready devices, whether they’re tablet PC rentals signing in over WiFi or phones on 3G/4G networks.

Maintaining tight security during diverse connections has been problematic, but System Center 2012 holds this promise. In fact, top tech pundits are saying that System Center 2012 is “looking like the real deal.” It may be a few weeks until 2012 but it’s hard not to get excited if you use Windows or Microsoft enterprise software. Remember, when the New Year arrives, the game is afoot!

One call or e-mail puts an experienced Account Executive on the job for you – or use our Quick Rental Quote form to get things going right now. From event production rentals to the latest in high-end post-production gear, CRE is your one-stop shop!

iOS 5: Mobile Operating System on Steroids!

October 13th, 2011

Apple’s October 4th event may have been overshadowed by the death of Steve Jobs, but there was still some “insanely great” news. Although the event was touted as “an iPhone thing,” the most excitement seems to be about iOS 5. Before we get to the new features, here are some fast facts about Apple’s mobile OS.

Announced at Apple’s WorldWide Developer Conference 2011 in June and fully previewed at the October 4th event.
Release date, via iTunes 10.5 download, is October 12th.
Numbers: 200 million iOS devices sold.
Compatibility includes the new iPhone 4S, iPhone 4 and 3GS; both iPad models; and the iPod touch 3rd and 4th generation models.
The OS now updates wirelessly, and you’ll just get what’s new or changed instead of a huge 600MB download.
Devices can now be activated without plugging them into a computer.
You can now create and delete iOS calendars and mailboxes.

And don’t forget iCloud! You will simply enter your Apple ID and password to keep all of your mail, calendars, contacts, apps and media updated across your various devices – without ever connecting to a computer. On the flip side, you can access iCloud and interact with iOS devices whether you use a Macintosh or a PC desktop computer rentals.

New features on iOS 5

The new iMessage is like text messaging or BlackBerry BBM and is available to all iOS users. With an iPad rental you can now send text, pictures, videos or contact info, over both Wi-Fi and 3G.

The Notification Center aggregates all your Notifications so you can access them with a simple swipe down from the top of the screen.

The Newsstand is another aggregator, for your newspaper and magazine subscriptions.

Twitter support is now native. Sign in once through the Settings menu and any app can be integrated with Twitter. It is fully integrated with the Camera and Photo apps, too.

Safari’s new Reading Mode provides a single, scrolling story with no ads. Other new features include tabbed browsing and a Reading List option to save articles for later. Some folks still don’t know that Safari also works with Windows on tablet PC rentals and other PCs.

The Reminders feature lets you store Lists, assign reminders to any date(s) and save location-specific data, all syncing across devices (and via iCal).

The Camera has a new button on the lock screen, and you can also use the volume button to take pictures. Basic photo editing software (cropping and general enhancements) is now included.

The Mail app now features draggable addresses, flaggable/searchable messages, rich text formatting, a built-in dictionary and, on the iPad, a split keyboard.

CRE is your source for high-tech solutions, whether you need render farms for production or audio visual (A/V) equipment rentals for a company event. One call or e-mail (or a trip to the Quick Rental Quote page) will put an expert Account Executive at your service!

Watch for an upcoming blog, iOS 5 vs. Android, feature by feature, to be posted on October 18th.

Android Grows Up

October 11th, 2011

The old cliché about comparing apples to oranges has a high-tech version that cautions against comparing Apple products to, well, anything. Apple’s build quality, style and innovation set the firm’s products apart, but software is key, too. On its Mac Pro and other computers, the hardware works seamlessly with OS X Lion (10.7). For the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch, Apple’s iOS – version 5 of which debuts October 12th – offers the same quality user experience.

Android Grows Up

Google presents the biggest challenge to Apple in the smart phone and tablet sectors, courtesy of its Android OS. Despite the obvious similarity of many Android and iOS apps, features and capabilities, people choose one over the other for a variety of reasons. There is no objective way to determine which OS is “the best,” but this intro to Android may spur you to investigate more fully which is best for you.

Android overview

You’re not going to rent laptops from CRE and find Android on them, but you will find it on the majority of smart phones that are not Apples or Blackberries. After some early bumps in the road, things settled down with version 2.0, nicknamed Gingerbread. Google has polished this version three times (it’s presently at 2.3), improving the soft keyboard, adding copy/paste, beefing up gaming performance and including support for VoIP and Near Field Communication.

You won’t find Android running any PC desktop computer rental, either, although low-end, small-screen “netbooks” and tablets use versions as old as 1.6. The newest Android version for phones is 2.3, but Google was smart enough to see the future of multiple mobile devices. Version 3.0, Honeycomb, the first tablet-enabled release, supports larger screens, multicore processors and graphics acceleration. In February 2011, Motorola debuted its Xoom with Honeycomb 3.0 tablet, a failed competitor to the iPad rental.

Future of Android

Honeycomb versions 3.1 and 3.2 followed quickly in May and June – adding USB transfer, solving a problem with 7-inch-screens and allowing media files to load directly from SD cards – but the development path is a bit cloudy at present. Some Google partners are hinting that Honeycomb 3.3 is in the works, while Google keeps talking up its “hybrid” OS, Ice Cream Sandwich. This is the long-awaited “Android for all” that will power all sizes and types of devices, from tablet PC rentals to in-car entertainment systems.

Finally, the Android Market claims “200,000″ items, but Apple’s App Store has more (and better) products – for now, anyway. Google recently introduced its Google+ service, but has inexplicably let its “other OS,” Chrome, languish for over a year. It may be that some kind of consolidation of all these products is in order. We’ll keep tabs on that for you.

Call or e-mail an experienced Account Executive for everything from high-end post-production gear to trade show convention rentals. Already know what you need? Use the Quick Rental Quote form right now!

Remembering The Man Who Made the Future

October 6th, 2011

The 2000′s didn’t start out well for technology, as the dot-com bust tore through Silicon Valley and other centers of high-tech power. There was one fellow at the time, however, who saw nothing but great opportunities ahead. Because of what he has done in the decade or so since then, he has been hailed as the

“CEO of the Decade” by Fortune magazine,
“Best-Performing CEO in the World” by the Harvard Business Review,
“Person of the Decade” by the Wall Street Journal and
man behind the “Brand of the Decade” by Adweek.

This person is Steve Jobs, who passed away Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at his Northern California home.

Remaking industries

You can get the whole Apple history elsewhere if you don’t know it already; we are focusing on the astonishing events of the last decade, as Jobs and Apple remade entire industries. Music and entertainment have been revolutionized by iTunes, and personal communications by the iPhone. Meanwhile, computers like MacBook Pro have been at the forefront of advances in mobile computing.

The decade of the 2000′s started with the revolutionary Bondi Blue iMac and futuristic OS X, and ended with a mature, industry-leading iPhone and Apple’s insanely great tablet – the iPad. It was January 2001 when Jobs announced his “digital hub” strategy. The analog era – with its records, cassette tapes and chemically-treated film – was at an end. The world and everything in it would “go digital,” with distribution over an ever-faster Internet.

Only (and always) “the best”

Always at the center of Jobs’ strategy and Apple’s approach would be the best hardware, the best software, the best OS, the best service and the best user experience. The proof of their success is discovered by every CRE customer that rents a Mac Pro or Apple laptops. And as a leader in iMac rentals and other Apple gear – as well as the specialized peripherals needed for digital media, like Ethernet disk RAID – CRE has adopted the same approach of offering “the best”.

The Future…

Steve Jobs has had a powerful effect on the world’s future and his legacy remains with the amazingly successful company he has left behind. Apple will continue to lead the technology industry with “out of the box” thinking and innovation … a tribute to the man that started it all – Steve Jobs.

Our sincerest sympathies to his family and friends.

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