Archive for the ‘Gadgets’ category

Steve Jobs Leaving CEO Position in Apple

September 1st, 2011

Steve Jobs, who served for 14 years as the iconic Apple CEO, handed in his resignation of the position on August 24, 2011. In a surprise announcement last week, Jobs said in a letter to the Apple Board of Directors and the Apple Community:

 “I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.

“I hereby resign as CEO of Apple. I would like to serve, if the Board sees fit, as Chairman of the Board, director and Apple employee.”

Shortly after, Apple’s Board of Directors accepted and made immediately effective Jobs’ resignation, appointed him as a director, and elected him as Chairman of the Board. Taking Jobs’ recommendation, the Apple Board of Directors also named the company’s COO, Tim Cook, as the new CEO.

Jobs’ resignation didn’t come as a surprise, however. A survivor of pancreatic cancer, Jobs has been on a medical leave since January 17; although neither Apple nor Jobs have yet disclosed the details of his condition. Several analysts had already predicted that Jobs would step down in 2011 after he filed his most recent medical leave, his second one in two years; and that Tim Cook would become Apple’s next CEO.

While Apple and Jobs remain confident that Cook will be able to successfully fill in the void left by Jobs in much the same capacity, several analysts have expressed their views that Jobs’ resignation marks the end of an era for Apple. Jobs most recent tenure at Apple was marked not only by a return to profitability after the company posted multi-billion dollar losses a few years prior, but also by the successful reinvention and restructuring of its product line. Because of this, Jobs has developed a cult following amongst consumers and Apple employees alike who cling to his every word and are the first to defend the visionary CEO’s ideas whenever they receive negative criticism.

Jobs return to Apple brought about a collaboration with Microsoft to release Microsoft Office on the Mac and an ease in competition between the two computing giants. Apple has also collaborated with Intel to develop hardware for their Macs. It also brought about the development of successful products such as the iPod, iPhone, and iPad. Jobs is also credited as being the mastermind behind the success of the iOS, which included setting limitations for the types of applications it can run – most notably the controversial exclusion of Adobe Flash Player.

Tim Cook, who was brought on board by Jobs as the Senior Vice President for Worldwide Operations in 1998, has been with Apple for 13 years. He was promoted to COO in January 2007. Cook has also served as CEO during 3 of Jobs’ absences – for two months in 2004, while Jobs was recovering from pancreatic cancer; for several months in 2009, when Jobs took a leave of absence for a liver transplant; and since the beginning of Jobs’ medical leave this year.

Cook has been charged with continuing Jobs’ vision of making Apple computers as easy-to-use and ubiquitous as televisions, food processors, and radios. While Cook has built a reputation of being exceptionally skilled operationally, it still remains to be seen if he can match the Jobs’ visionary perfectionism.

Following Jobs’ resignation, Apple shares experienced a 7% slump, but market analysts and long-time Apple observers agree that, at least in the next few quarters, the company will still be able to stick to its fabled product-launch roadmap and maintain its top-notched image with consumers. But few can tell what will happen when Jobs’ vision expires and when Cook will have to steer the company according to his own vision for it – for Apple the saying is true, only time will tell.

Smartphones Manufactured in China Revisited

August 8th, 2011

A wide variety of smartphones are being manufactured in China in an effort to compete with the more popular western brands of mobile phones on the market. However, some people are reluctant about purchasing these mobile phones, because they question their quality, their features, their durability, and the fact that some of them are clones of branded phones. This article is aimed at addressing these issues and tries to answer questions about smartphones manufactured in China in a simple manner that is easy to understand.

When purchasing mobile phones, most people first ask about their quality. Anybody wanting to buy a mobile phone will of course want a phone that is worth the money they paid for it. With mobile phones manufactured in China, you can expect satisfactory quality for prices that are cheaper than what the more popular mobile phone brands are able to offer. Also, many Chinese mobile phone manufacturing companies are still in the developing stages, so we can expect that improvements in the quality of their products are yet to come if the company wants to be able to compete in the market with branded phones. Though the quality of branded phones is still better than that of Chinese smartphones, Chinese smartphones are a good alternative for when you are looking for an affordable, good quality mobile phone.

A phone’s features can help to differentiate it from every other mobile phone. Every phone has a unique set of features that distinguish it from other phones. This is aimed at making people interested in purchasing a particular phone. Mobile phones manufactured in China try not to be left behind with regards to the features that they offer. Most Chinese phones come with a “dual SIM” feature that makes it possible for one phone to have two SIM cards from different networks, thus, eliminating the cost of having to buy a second phone for a second SIM card. Also, many phones manufactured in China have the same capabilities and features that branded phones have, though, again, they are not quite as refined as the features of branded products.

The durability of a mobile phone is a quality people are drawn to, especially for those who use mobile phones on a regular basis in their everyday lives. Smartphones can be used to browse the internet, making them more convenient to use them on a daily basis as compared to setting up a laptop or turning on a desktop PC for the same purpose. Some phones manufactured in China lack the assurance of durability because of the absence of a company website or customer support and the lack of dedicated repair centers. However, because these companies are just starting up, it can be expected that improvements in their customer support will become available to their customers in the near future as the resources they need to be able to provide the requested support grow and become more available to them.

There are also phones manufactured in China that are replicas of branded phones, like the iPhone. Most people regard them as either being fakes or as being nothing more than simplistic imitations. Chinese manufacturers often skip the procedure employed by manufacturers of branded phones of researching and testing the design and appearance of a phone to create a unique look that will attract customers, because it allows them to cut development costs. The problem lies in the fact that some people mistakenly expect these clones to operate in the same way as the original branded phones do, even if they are explicitly designed not to operate in that manner. They may have the same looks, but they will often come with an entirely different set of features and specifications.

To sum it all up, smartphones are still a practical choice when you buy from China if you are trying to save money. Though they may not always be at par with branded phones on the market, they are still a good alternative because they offer satisfactory quality for your money’s worth.