What do we expect from Apple in 2012?
Another year brings more hysteria surrounding the potential release of Apple products. Following the slightly underwhelming launch of the iPhone 4s, the technology world is eagerly awaiting a revolutionary new product line up.
Most people expect to see both an iPhone 5 and an iPad 3 at some point in 2012. The internet is awash with rumours, however the most likely advancements for the iPhone will be more power under the hood, a bigger screen and possibly a radical new design. The iPad, which is rumoured to already be in the early stages of production, is also likely to get a faster processor and a higher resolution “Retina Display”, similar to that on the latest iPhone 4 and 4s.
Slightly less likely is an Apple branded TV which is being touted by some . The current Apple TV is a small device that plugs into your existing set, however it is thought that Apple is planning their own branded TVs with Apple technology built in. This would make a lot of sense considering how Apple have shaken up the PC and phone markets in recent years and created new markets for the portable music player (iPod) and tablet (iPad). The next obvious realm to get their teeth into is surely the TV sat in your living room with the subscription revenues that can be generated.
As with any Apple product, the hype alone is enough to sell millions of units despite typically being at a premium price tag when compared to the competition. One thing for sure is that you can expect to see the usual news stories of people queuing outside Apple Stores at some point during 2012 whatever product the Californian giant releases.
Your mobile phone is not safe from viruses!
2011 saw the first viruses aimed at targeting Google’s Android mobile phones. Unlike Apple’s carefully controlled iPhone environment, the Android operating system is a little more “free and easy” when it comes to publishing apps. This has led to malicious apps appearing in non-Google approved app stores, which is worrying considering how much personal information most people will store on their mobile phone.
Gartner again predicts that by 2014, over 3 billion of the world’s population will be able to transact electronically via mobile or internet technology. It is this kind of data that the creators of viruses will want to get their hands on. Many security and antivirus companies are releasing products to help secure mobile devices
Mobile phone to be main web browser by 2013
Which device do you use most for browsing the internet? According to Gartner research, it is likely the answer is the Smartphone in your pocket. It is predicted that by 2013, the number of internet browser-enabled Smartphones such as iPhone, Android or Blackberry will exceed the number of old fashioned PCs in use. By 2015, the mobile phone is expected to be the primary browsing device for most people. Gartner also predicts that 20% of businesses will “own no IT assets” by 2012 with employees instead using their own personal devices. This opens up a whole new can of worms for IT security in the workplace.
NCS now receive a large volume of requests for enabling Smartphones on the network. We also find that many businesses freely hand out the wireless access key to enable staff and guests to connect their mobile phone to the internet. Again, this poses a risk that can easily be addressed by separating your corporate wireless network from your guest access. Contact NCS for information on how to do safely segregate the two.
The rise of the Ultrabook
Once again, Apple lead the way with the MacBook Air – a super thin, super light laptop that is as beautiful to look at as it is powerful. The cheap and
cheerful netbook is disappearing fast with most manufacturers concentrating their efforts on powerful MacBook Air wannabes. The recent CES technology show in Las Vegas was awash with models from the likes of HP, Asus, Acer and Samsung. In order to be classed as a true Ultrabook, the device needs to be under 18mm thick and have a 13” screen, which is quite an extraordinary achievement considering the power that these machines can punch.
We are already seeing interest from NCS’ customers for these ultra-portable devices and expect this to continue over the coming year. In the past, you had to compromise between portability and power, but the new range of Ultrabooks run the latest Intel Core i5 and i7 processors. Ultrabook is actually a trademark of Intel so be sure to see AMD weighing in with their range of “Ultrathin” notebooks during the year.
Windows 8 gets touchy…
Microsoft is expected to release the next version of their desktop operating system, Windows 8, at some point this year. This is expect
ed to play nicely with a touchscreen device, unlike previous versions which have been decidedly finger unfriendly. The new “Metro” interface will be a big departure from the traditional Windows look with apps sitting in tiles that can be swiped and prodded. You can be sure that many of the major manufacturer’s will release more economical touch-enabled screens and notebooks to take advantage of the new interface.
Other features being introduced in Windows 8 include a “Windows Store” (think App Store) for buying, selling and advertising applications and the ability to log on using a Windows Live ID. This means that your settings will follow you from one Windows 8 PC to another.
Microsoft may well be a victim of their own success however, with many corporate clients likely to stick with the rock-solid Windows 7 for some time as happened with Windows XP. We have found that most of NCS business customers tend to stay with what they know works and it has to be a very compelling reason to move to a new platform. Windows Vista was an unmitigated disaster for Microsoft and was largely ignored by the corporate world, whereas the reliability and features of Windows 7 have proven a good reason to upgrade from XP.
Is there a Tablet PC market?
It’s hard to believe that the Apple iPad has been in existence for less than 24 months. In that time, it has taken both the consumer and corporate world by storm. This leaves their competitors desperately playing catch-up. The world and his dog has released an alternative to the ipad, mostly running Google’s Android operating system. These have ranged from the very cheap and cheerful sub £200 devices to some superb tablets such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab. Interestingly, even with so many competitor’s products available, Apple still holds by far the largest share of the market – approximately 60% at present. This has led to many analysts declaring that there is only actually an “iPad market” and the tablet market is in fact a fallacy. This year may be make or break for some of Apple’s competitors, however the competitively-priced Amazon’s Kindle Fire which is due to be launched in the UK imminently is likely to be a strong contender.
NCS are seeing more and more businesses using an iPad as an alternative to the traditional notebook computer, so it will be interesting to see if people start to adopt Android devices during 2012. Tim Cook, who took over from the late Steve Jobs as CEO of Apple, has his roots in big corporate organisations such as which suggests he may try and push Apple further into this sector.