The VAR Guy

Amid all the hustle and bustle of the iPad, Apple’s homepage today is plain with one news story. There are no ads or links to fancy pre-orders or special deals. Apple’s front page today serves as a memorial to Jerome B. York, one of Apple’s (and many other companies) most influential directors. He passed away on March 18th 2010 at 71 years old…

The next sexy industrially designed thing to come out of Apple might not be something you put in your pocket. It could be something you wear. News is that Apple has hired wearable-computing guru Richard DeVaul to work on some new prototyping for Apple. Here’s the scoop…

Oh the Tablet buzz never ends. As we all know Apple’s iPad won’t support Flash anytime soon, but the HP Tablet (or Slate) will support Flash, naturally, because it’s running Windows 7. HP and Adobe intend to capitalize on that fact. In fact, Adobe showcased Flash on the HP tablet with it running AIR applications as well, and that got people thinking…

Friday announcements always tend to get smothered by the weekend. On March 5th 2010 Engadget reported some interesting new details and exclusive pictures about Microsoft’s dual-screen tablet, dubbed Courier. It’s got a lot of work-horse potential and productivity power. Here’s the scoop…

I know what you’re thinking: “Am I reading The VAR Guy or some other tabloid blog?” But let’s face it; no matter what business you’re in, you’re interested in Apple’s business, even if it’s just an ancillary glance. Friday, March 5th came and with it was the announcement that the iPad would be available April 3rd. It kind of slipped under our radar. What didn’t, however, was the fact the iPad is coming a little late. Oh, and Steve Jobs was at the Oscars…

On March 2nd 2010, Apple filed a suit against mobile phone maker HTC for patent infringement. HTC, who notably supports Android and the Google Nexus One is fighting back. What’s more, Google is backing HTC. Is this just another court-spat between companies, or the start of the oncoming mobile wars and Steve Jobs’ increasing hostility towards Google…?

Attention all those holding stock with Apple Inc., don’t expect any sort of dividend or buyback. Steve Jobs doesn’t plan on it. All the cash Apple has is staying in the bank, and that’s final. Is that a smart idea for Apple? For Jobs’ persona? Here’s the deal…

The products aren’t even in the wild yet and the war is already brewing. Hewlett-Packard apparently wants their tablet (the HP Slate) to be cheaper than Apple’s iPad and still include 3G wireless. So, will VARs give the HP tablet a look? Here are some perspectives.

The Mobile World Congress 2010 is taking place this week (Feb 15th-18th) in Barcelona this year and there are tons of surprises, like the Windows Phone 7 series launching. But the latest surprise involves Opera, that ‘other browser’ that people tend to forget about. Opera has an interesting trick up their sleeve. They’ve developed an iPhone browser that’s 6 times faster than anything on the market.

For all you Apple partners out there, or maybe those thinking about becoming one; here’s an interesting tidbit from ARNnet.com.au. The Apple channel partner network is launching down-under. Here’s the news…

Apple says their new iPhone update is going to be killer. Google’s Android Phone and OS proliferating is catching on like wild-fire. New rumors point to some groovy stuff for Microsoft’s Windows Mobile 7 experience. But the real story involves Steve Jobs’ preoccupation with Google. Here are the details.

Whether Apple’s iPad will be a hit or miss for business is yet to be decided. But one thing is for sure: Apple’s iPad A4 chip is turning heads in the IT world. If you’re a mobile VAR with ties to Apple, Intel or Qualcomm, you should pay particularly close attention. Here’s why.

Dear Apple, I love you. It’s true. There’s a deep seeded unabashed, unconditional, unrestricted outpouring of adoration and I don’t care who knows it. Today, you showed me how much you love me. You gave me the iPad. And I have yet another reason to take a savory bite from the tasty tree-ovum that you are.

One day before Apple’s alleged Tablet launch here’s a rather interesting tidbit that may prove the devices really exist: Analytical company Flurry Analytics has detected about 50 alleged Apple Tablets inside the Apple campus. Here’s what’ they’re saying…

For all you Mac savvy VARs out there, here’s something you should know. Mac OS X 10.7 has been showing up in weblogs. Does this mean Apple intends to release it soon? And what’s the big-cat code name going to be? Here’s the speculation:

The image on the right hit a few privileged email inboxes yesterday. It’s part of an Apple invitation to a January 27, 2010 event. Is Steve Jobs finally ready to unveil the long-rumored Apple Tablet? Here are some educated guesses.

Of course it isn’t VAR related, but who can’t stop wondering about the mythical tablet from Cupertino. Early on January 14th, 2010, Valleywag.org offered $100,000 to anyone willing to let them play with a prototype for just an hour, and $10,000 for mere photographs. Needless to say, Apple was not amused. Here’s the scoop:

Everyone is looking to integrate touch these days, and HP is no slacker. Their new AP5000 is looking to be an all-in-one point of sale device. But is it the right move for VARs that promote POS offerings? Read on for the details on the new system and a little speculation about the future of computerized sales.

We already heard rumors about Apple entering the point of sale (POS) arena, but now there are whispers that Apple is looking to break into the health care vertical. With what? Why, none other than their alleged tablet, of course. Think it’s far-fetched? Don’t be too surprised. Read on for the details.

Touch-based user interfaces continue to generate buzz. The latest example: According to some ex-Apple employees, Apple has been working on some interesting multi-touch applications that extend beyond the realm you’d come to expect. In fact, there may be multi-touch going into Apple’s iWork productivity applications — perhaps for Apple’s alleged iSlate tablet. Interested? Read on.

If it’s not official yet, it should be. Netbooks and Tablets are the CES 2010 show stoppers, and ever since the buzz about an alleged Apple tablet started, every consumer electronic maker has been rushing to beat Apple at its own game. HP was one of the first out of the gate this year at CES, and Steve Ballmer was happy to display the new tablet.

Lenovo is looking to shake things up with their consumer products. From a newly redesigned All-In-One IdeaCentre to some notebooks and a Linux netbook, Lenovo is looking to steal the spotlight at CES 2010. But similar to their business brand counterparts, one can’t help but wonder if Lenovo is taking cues from Apple. Here’s the latest on the snazzy new introductions from Lenovo…

There’s plenty of buzz about tablet computing in 2010, and we’re only 4 days in. Admittedly, the buzz about tablets has been going on for quite some time, but with the 2010 Consumer Electronic Show just around the corner, there’s reason to get excited. And there’s reason to believe that 2010 is going to be the year of the tablet. Seriously. Here’s why: