WritePad and new iPad users can be excited about today’s update to PhatWare’s note taking prowess app for Apple’s latest tablet. Updated to take full advantage of the Retina display, WritePad will capture your handwriting and convert it to text like never before. Your input will look and feel more accurate than before with the WritePad 6.2. Taking notes and using such improved features such as the magnifying glass will reveal the amazing resolution of the new iPad before your eyes. The update is free and the details are below.
PhatWare Releases WritePad Optimized for iPad’s New Retina Display
New version of popular note-taking and handwriting recognition software for iPads has been optimized for new iPad’s retina display and features improvements in handwriting recognition quality.
Spokane, WA – March 28, 2012 – PhatWare Corporation announces today the immediate availability of WritePad 6.2 for iPad, optimized for the new iPad’s Retina screen and providing even better handwriting recognition quality. WritePad also now features an improved magnifying glass/text selection feature and better digital ink rendering.
WritePad is an advanced note-taker for iOS which converts practically any handwriting into computer text. Notes created with WritePad can be sent via email, tweeted, saved, posted on a Facebook wall, printed, exported as PDF, translated to other languages, synchronized with Dropbox, and exchanged directly between two or more iOS devices. WritePad also features integration with events, contacts, maps, and other iPhone resources.
WritePad supports handwriting recognition in 11 languages, including Danish, Dutch, English (UK and US), Finnish, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese (Brazil and Portugal), Spanish, and Swedish. Additionally, application’s user interface has been localized to 7 languages: Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish.
With WritePad, users can:
· Create and edit text documents using the advanced handwriting recognition engine or iPad keyboard for text entry in landscape or portrait mode.
· Improve productivity by using inline gestures, spell checker, context analyzer, and shorthand features.
· Improve overall handwriting recognition quality using WritePad’s Statistical Analyzer, which addresses common recognition errors. When enabled, this WritePad feature learns and adapts to the user’s own handwriting style.
· Email, Tweet, print, or post Facebook updates directly from WritePad
· Synchronize WritePad documents with Dropbox, Evernote, and iTunes, or upload documents to Google Docs.
· Translate documents to 13 supported languages using Bing Translator.
· Change WritePad’s appearance by manipulating text, page, and ink colors using the customizable Styles feature.
WritePad Availability and Pricing
WritePad 6.2 for iPad is available now and can be purchased via the iTunes App Store for $9.99. The price includes handwriting recognition in a language of the user’s choice. Support for additional languages can be purchased in-app for just $2.99 per language. The US English Medical dictionary is also available for WritePad 6.2 for $4.99. WritePad for iPhone is also available and is sold separately for $3.99. For more information about the WritePad product line, please visit PhatWare’s web site at http://www.phatware.com/writepad.
About PhatWare
Founded in October 1997, PhatWare Corporation is a leading provider of easy to use powerful software products and professional services for the mobile and desktop computing marketplace. PhatWare specializes in handwriting recognition, digital ink, note taking and database, and network management software development. PhatWare’s products include such popular titles as CalliGrapher®, PenOffice®, PhatNotes™, PhatPad™, WritePad™, and others. PhatWare Corporation is a Microsoft Certified Partner, and Intel Software Partner. To learn more about PhatWare, visit www.phatware.com.
Apple made a big splash at its iPhone 4S keynote with the introduction of Siri, the voice assistant Apple integrated into the iOS from its acquiring of Siri 18 months earlier. I remember when the Siri app first arrived and I dwell upon how little it worked for me when it was 1.0. Now that Apple was able to throw money, in both purchase and development, at Siri and has taken its time with presenting the updated version, I was excited to see what 2.0 would be like. Well, first we were told it was a beta, not a revised version. Second, it no longer would run on anything but an iPhone 4S due to the need for a hefty processor (which has since been proven wrong with the many hacks floating around the Internet.) But that commercial shown at Moscone Center definitely made it look like it was going to be the sweet deal nevertheless.
Now, I wasn’t expecting perfection from Siri when my white 32GB iPhone 4S arrived at my door step via UPS upon the day of release. No, I had used Android’s voice-to-text without much success and, again, the original Siri app wasn’t all that impressive. In short, my expectations were honestly low.
After removing the phone from its packaging and activating it on the third attempt – third time’s the charm, AT&T – I of course asked Siri if I would need an umbrella tomorrow even though it was sunny and in the 80s outside. Siri responded with the weather for the next week. My family and I then went on to ask it more of the silly questions such as what is the meaning of life and what do yo look like.
When it came time time to really test it, this is where the shine began to fade. I attempted to text my wife a short message to which it understood who my wife was but didn’t even have any of the text for the message. I tried again and then it got it. Well, most of it. The end of the message was just chopped off as if I hadn’t even said it and the last two words were incorrect. I chalked it up to a busy day for Siri as this was her/his debut.
Over the next few weeks, I used Siri in the truck, in my home, in stores, in offices. I used it in many different environments and pretty much received consistent results. Poor ones. My truck gave me the worse and I attribute that to the cabin noise since I have a large Ford F-250. My wife’s Yukon isn’t much better with its Flowise pipes so results were about the same there as well. In a quiet environment, such as my bedroom, the accuracy was improved but not by much. To gain near perfect accuracy, I found I had to be holding the phone near to my mouth, about a foot or two, angled with the mic toward me, and not to use conjunctions such as you’ll. When using this method, I obtained near 90% accuracy. But the problem with this is that it’s more like a lab than real life.
Let me be clear, I did not just use the iPhone 4Ses built-in microphone or supplied wired headset. I also employed the use of third-party hands-free sets such as my Alpine IVA-W505 (my review), SuperTooth buddy (here’s that review), and the Magellan Premium Car Kit (yup, reviewed that, too.) I live in California where it has some of the most stringent laws against distracted driving so I engage technology to help me be safe and avoid unneeded fines. In reality, one would presume this is the point of Siri as we watch the jogger run along the bay with Treasure Island in the background. Siri is our assistant when our hands and eyes are busy doing other things.
What it comes down to is the best place to use Siri is not the best place to use Siri. The most common place to use Siri, chatter filled offices or noisy homes, gives you the most common errors. I also found myself flustered many times when speaking to Siri and correcting myself mid-sentence and boy did that make things even worse. From what I gather speaking to my other Siri using friends, I’m not the only one that suffers from the same tongue-tie issue. Part of it is that our brain thinks we need to sound like a robot when speaking to Siri but the other part is Siri needs to recognize human short comings and prevail as well.
I have also noted the lack of punctuation. If I speak more than a single sentence, even with proper pause, Siri doesn’t get the period. It either ends taking my dictation or makes a run-on sentence. I have discovered that I can state the needed mark, such as period or question mark, but it doesn’t always get it. If I give Siri too much, either via the Siri interface or the Mic icon on the keyboard, it will simply double beep and translate what I have said up to that point. Sometimes, it comes up completely blank! This leads me to wonder about the articles I’ve read on ZDNet and the Sun Times by Andy Ihnatko that claim they dictated the entire article to Siri. I would sure love to see a video of that because I really do not think it’s possible without much interaction with the Home or Mic button. Maybe I’m missing something but Apple is well known for it’s ease of use and Steve Jobs was found of saying, “It just works”.
What it comes down to is that Apple has advertised something that really isn’t. Sure, these keyword tips help your accuracy but note how short the sentences are.
Going back to that jogger and the way he made a meeting so natural and so easy, this is what Average Joe and Mom Consumer will see. They don’t watch keynotes. So how much higher will their expectations be than mine? Apple has done well with its products in the last decade from the iPod, iPhone, and the iPad, and I’m certain Siri is what will set the next decade for Apple, but beta or not, Siri needs to get it and get it quick.
With the introduction of the iMatch setting on iOS last week, Apple is getting ready to flip the switch on iMatch, the service that lets you store all of your music easily on iCloud and even upgrade songs purchased or ripped outside of iTunes. Rinse has been introduced from RealNetworks to clean those tracks up you may have ripped prior to GraceNote’s help or songs “gifted” from a friend. With Rinse, it will find the correct metadata, such as incorrectly spelled song titles or missing album art. Heck, if the MP3 is completely missing everything, then Rinse will still be able to use “fingerprint” technology to find a match and correct it. Cool? For $40, you can clean up your library now, too!
Get ready for iTunes Match™ by cleaning up your music collection with Rinse from RealNetworks
Rinse music clean up product removes duplicates, fixes misspellings and identifies songs without titles so iTunes Match – and the Apple Siri™ digital assistant — works best
Seattle, WA—October 27, 2011—Users who plan to use Apple’s new iTunes Match music product to stream their matched songs from the cloud should consider using Rinse to clean up their music collections first, according to RealNetworks (Nasdaq:RNWK).
Rinse can fix misspellings of song title and artist names, identify songs without titles and remove duplicates, enabling the iTunes Match service to correctly identify songs in the user’s collection and allow streaming from the cloud.
“As cloud services like iTunes Match from Apple and other music services from Amazon and Google become popular, having an accurate music library will allow users to more easily sync and enjoy their music on all of their devices,” said Daniel Strickland, RealNetworks senior director and lead developer for Rinse. “Rinse is incredibly easy to use, so cleaning up a user’s music collection can be completed with just a few clicks.”
In addition, Strickland said Rinse will help the new Siri personal assistant, incorporated into the iPhone® 4S, be more effective for users. The Siri voice recognition software lets users verbally ask for a song to be played from iTunes. “Siri can play any song for you on request, but it works best if that song is correctly identified in your collection.”
RealNetworks also announced a new version of Rinse that incorporates advanced acoustic fingerprinting technology powered by Gracenote. Rinse can now identify and clean up songs without any titles or artist names — the “track 01″ songs that clutter a library — by listening to the audio data and identifying matches in an online database.
With Rinse, users can:
Remove duplicate songs in a music collection, even if the titles or artists are missing or misspelled.
Repair misspelled songs, artists and album details, making it easy to browse the collection without having to remember exact names. For example, users don’t have to remember that Steve Miller is actually “Steve Miller Band.”
Add missing album art to a music library. Rinse automatically finds high resolution album art so users can enjoy it on their computers, in iTunes®, on smart phones and other devices.
Identify a song even without titles or artists names. Rinse can identify a song’s “fingerprint” by examining just a few notes of a song and then matching it with its industry-leading, 100 million track database.
Edit entire collections at once or song by song — it’s the users’ choice.
Free Trial of Rinse
Rinse is a downloadable product available for $39 at www.rinsemymusic.com and is compatible with iTunes collections on both Windows and Macintosh. A free trial version is available that cleans up 50 songs in a user’s library.
Follow Rinse on Facebook: www.facebook.com/rinsemymusic
Follow Rinse on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/#!/rinsemymusic
Read the Rinse blog: www.rinsemymusic.com/blog
About RealNetworks
RealNetworks creates innovative applications and services that make it easy to connect with and enjoy digital media. RealNetworks invented the streaming media category and continues to connect consumers with their digital media both directly and through partners, aiming to support every network, device, media type and social network. RealNetorks corporate information is located at www.realnetworks.com/about-us
RealNetworks and Rinse are trademarks or registered trademarks of RealNetworks, Inc.
iTunes, iTunes Match, iPhone and Siri are registered trademarks of Apple Inc.
All other trademarks, names of actual companies and products mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.
If you’re wondering what iCloud is or know but just need to know how to use it, then you may be interested in the new book from Joe Kissell entitled Take Control of iCloud from TidBITS. The 143-page ebook will help you understand the differences between MobileMe and iCloud and what stays, goes away, and what’s new. Examples of how to configure aspects of iCloud, such as syncing your calendar, are all part of this new digital release. Get it and learn the iCloud.
Sebastopol, CA—The rollout of Apple’s new iCloud service has not been without problems, and many people have questions about how best to sign up, switch to, and use iCloud. To answer those questions, TidBITS Publishing Inc. is pleased to announce the release of Take Control of iCloud ($15.00 USD), a 143-page ebook that helps readers successfully migrate to iCloud and its many services.
Written by tech expert Joe Kissell, Take Control of iCloud explains how to handle a variety of setup scenarios and concerns (including multiple Apple IDs and upgrading from MobileMe, iCloud’s predecessor), and how to best use the many features in iCloud: iTunes in the Cloud, iTunes Match, iCloud Backup, Photo Stream, Documents in the Cloud, Find My iPhone, Mail, Contacts, Calendars, and more.
Readers will learn the answers to questions such as:
What are iCloud’s primary features?
How do I set up iCloud-based calendar and contact syncing on my iOS device?
How do I share calendars with people who are not using iCloud?
How quickly should I expect iCloud to sync my data?
How do I configure my email software to use my iCloud email address?
How do I add files to my Photo Stream from Windows?
How can I configure my AirPort Extreme to work with Back to My Mac?
And for those making the jump from MobileMe, Kissell also explains:
How iCloud’s feature set compares to MobileMe’s.
Which MobileMe features will disappear after you switch to iCloud, and which will stick around until June 2012, when Apple has announced it will shut off MobileMe.
Handling old data stored on MobileMe, such as photos in Gallery and files in iDisk.
Converting a MobileMe Family Pack to iCloud accounts.
Replicating MobileMe-based group calendar sharing in iCloud, especially if not everyone can upgrade to iCloud.
For a review copy or more information please email takecontrolpr@oreilly.com. Please include your delivery address and contact information.
Additional Resources
For more information about the book, including table of contents, author bios, and cover graphic, see: http://oreilly.com/catalog/9781615423958
Take Control of iCloud
Publisher: TidBITS
By Joe Kissell
Ebook ISBN: 9781615423958
Pages: 144
Ebook Price: $15.00
order@oreilly.com
1-800-998-9938
1-707-827-7000
About Take Control Ebooks
The Take Control series is published by TidBITS Publishing Inc. TidBITS co-founders Adam and Tonya Engst have been publishing highly regarded news and editorial since 1990 when they created the online newsletter TidBITS, which covers Macintosh and Internet-related topics. The Take Control series has helped many thousands of readers with high-quality, timely, real-world, cost-effective documentation since 2003.
About O’Reilly
O’Reilly Media spreads the knowledge of innovators through its books, online services, magazines, and conferences. Since 1978, O’Reilly Media has been a chronicler and catalyst of cutting-edge development, homing in on the technology trends that really matter and spurring their adoption by amplifying “faint signals” from the alpha geeks who are creating the future. An active participant in the technology community, the company has a long history of advocacy, meme-making, and evangelism.
One of the most popular file transfer clients for the Mac has been updated. Fetch now allows user to find a specific file on a remote server and work specifically with it without the need to stumble over other unneeded files. Also new to original Mac file transfer app is an overall upload progress indicator to give you a better idea when all those files will be done.
Give Fetch a try for 15-days free and then purchase it for $29 or $10 if you are upgrading.
Etna, NH (October 24, 2011) – Fetch Softworks announces the latest release of Fetch, the original Mac file transfer app. With new features designed to provide greater control over the user’s file transfer tasks, this release continues the Fetch tradition of steady, relentless improvement.
Fetch now offers users better control over files. A simple but very useful way Fetch does this is by preserving the modification dates of uploaded files, making it easier to tell when a file on a server matches the local copy. Further, Fetch’s new Find field enables users to zero in on just the files they are working with.
Fetch also helps users better monitor the progress of file transfers. While previous versions reported the transfer progress of each individual file, Fetch now displays the progress of the overall transfer, making it easier to see when the entire operation will be complete.
Finally, Fetch now makes it easier to use Fetch on multiple computers without having to manually update shortcuts on each one. Fetch introduces support for syncing Fetch shortcuts using Dropbox, enabling individuals and groups to access an up-to-date collection of shortcuts no matter which Mac they use.
Fetch 5.7 is compatible with Intel Macs running Mac OS X 10.5 or later, including Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard and Mac OS X 10.7 Lion, and can be downloaded from http://fetchsoftworks.com or from the Mac App Store.
Fetch is free to try for 15 days, and a single-user license is $29. Upgrades are free for Fetch 5.5 and Fetch 5.6 users and customers who purchased Fetch after January 28, 2009; otherwise, upgrades are $10. Free licenses and upgrades are available for educational and charitable use.
About Fetch Softworks:
Developer of Fetch, the original Mac file transfer client, Fetch Softworks has been helping customers transfer videos and other files since 2001. For more information, visit http://fetchsoftworks.com.
Trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
1. Be prepared to act fast. If you want the new iPhone, be prepared to act fast on the date of release. After the announcement of the iPhone 4 pre-orders sold out within a matter of hours and those who procrastinated got left out in the cold. Pay attention to Apple news sources and pre-order your new iPhone as early as possible.
2. Avoid the lines: order online and deliver to your home. There are going to be lines around the block for the new iPhone. Don’t let fear of expensive shipping fees or late deliveries stop you from buying online. Apple has a great track record for getting new iPhones delivered to customers on time and delivery is free.
3. Buy from alternative sellers. If Apple’s pre-ordering system gets bogged down, buy from Verizon or AT&T. Whenever you buy from authorized retailers your new iPhone will come with the same one-year limited warranty and will be fully serviceable at Apple locations. Be aware, however, that return policies and procedures may differ from Apple’s so you should take a moment to read the retailer’s return policy.
4. Sell your old iPhone. If you’re upgrading from an old iPhone consider selling your old one for cash on eBay, Craigslist, or other channels such as sellyourmac.com. There’s plenty of demand and a used iPhone can fetch as much as a few hundred dollars. You can also trade in your iPhone with companies like Gazelle.com, which offers hundreds of dollars for well-kept models.
5. Buy with a credit card that offers additional protection. Many credit card companies (such as American Express) offer additional protection plans on purchases made with their cards. As long as you pay off your card balance so you don’t accrue interest or other fees that offset the benefit, it may be a good idea to take advantage of this service.
6. Hold off on AppleCare. AppleCare is Apple’s own service plan, which it offers for most of its products. The iPhone AppleCare plan currently costs $69 and can be obtained at any time for up to one year after purchase. Apart from the additional telephone technical support available beyond the 90-day complimentary period, there is little benefit to buying AppleCare before the one-year limited warranty is about to expire. Consider saving a date 11 months after you purchase your iPhone and decide then. It’s a waste of $69 if your phone gets lost, stolen, or damaged in a way that would void coverage (for example, by water damage).
7. Invest in a good case. Whether or not to equip your iPhone with a case is a matter of personal preference and risk assessment. If you do decide to buy a case take some time to read the reviews and choose one that is both aesthetically pleasing and offers sufficient protection for the types of environments you envision taking your iPhone into.
8. Learn iOS 5. The iPhone 4S’s operating system, iOS 5, is just as important—if not more—than the new hardware features in the iPhone 4S. All smartphones, not just the iPhone, are capable of far more than most users give them credit for. Take time to read up on the capabilities of the iOS and pay particular attention to the new features.
9. Do your research and read the reviews. Whatever iPhone(s) Apple releases this fall it’s important to research whether a new iPhone is really right for you. Online Mac sites are a great place to start because writers will be covering Apple’s release and sharing ideas and opinions for weeks before and after the announcement.
10. Look out for defects and be an informed consumer. Always be on the lookout for defects and get them addressed when they first arise. Stay informed by keeping up to date on problems, issues, bugs and breakdowns other Mac users may be having through Mac web sites (such as Cult of Mac.com).
Jonathan Zschau is a Boston-based attorney, a lifelong Mac enthusiast, a writer for CultofMac.com, and an outspoken advocate for consumer rights. Buying and Owning a Mac: Secrets Apple Doesn’t Want You to Know is available at bookstores online in print, PDF, EPUB, and Kindle formats. For more information visit http://www.cultofmac.com or http://amzn.com/0983107009
Travelers know how crummy electronics can be when it comes time to pack in all the stuff that keeps it going, aka, chargers. Some are small but those pesky prongs that stick out make packing difficult. Some have collapsible prongs but are large. Shesh, can some one give us a break? As David Lee Roth use to say, one break, coming up! XtremeMac has released the InCharge hOme USB which is slim and has a collapsible prongs for easy traveling and packing. The cable can also be be removed and used on any Mac or PCs USB port for charging and syncing. It can be yours for $29.99.
Oakdale, MN – October 18, 2011 – XtremeMac, a leading designer and manufacturer of accessories and audio solutions for Apple devices, is thrilled to announce the new InCharge Home USB Wall Charger, the perfect travel charger, slim and full power. With 10 watts of power, the InCharge Home USB provides rapid charging for iPod, iPhone or iPad as well as other USB powered devices.
The compact InCharge Home USB features a slim design with collapsible prongs for easy portability and convenience when traveling. Additionally, the low profile InCharge Home USB allows access to a second wall outlet. The included 4ft detachable USB to 30 pin cable can be used for charging/syncing with a computer.
The InCharge Home USB is available now in the U.S. for $29.99 at www.XtremeMac.com.
For more information on the InCharge Home USB and all of XtremeMac’s award winning products, follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
About XtremeMac:
Celebrating its 10 year anniversary, XtremeMac is a portfolio brand of Imation Corp. (NYSE:IMN). Founded in 2001, the same year Apple introduced the first iPod, XtremeMac provides innovative solutions to protect, power and play Apple devices. The brand’s award winning cases, speaker docks and charging solutions incorporate leading edge design and advanced technology to enhance customer experience with Apple products. Additional information can be found at XtremeMac.com, Facebook/XtremeMac and Twitter/XtremeMac.
XtremeMac, the “X” logo, and InCharge are trademarks of Imation Corp. iPhone, iPod, iPod Classic, iPod nano and iPod touch are trademarks of Apple Inc, registered in the U.S. and other countries. iPad is a trademark of Apple Inc.
In light of the passing of our modern-day genius, Steve Jobs, core member of the Apple Macintosh team, Andy Hertzfeld, takes you on a journey that is as fascinating as it is historical. Hertzfeld brings drawings, images, and stories, with the help of the 34 team members and Steve Jobs himself, to compile and amazing story of an incredible computer that brought us WSYWIG, the graphical interface (GUI), and the famed mouse. Having met Hertfeld (yes, he signed my copy of the book 
), I was unable to even get even a glimpse of what he achieved in that short time with him. With Revolution in the Valley, it will be as if you have been friends with him all your life.
Sebastopol, CA—There was a time, not too long ago, when the typewriter and notebook ruled, and the computer as an everyday tool was simply a vision. Newly released in paperback form, Revolution in the Valley takes this vision back to its earliest roots: the hallways and backrooms of Apple, where the groundbreaking Macintosh computer was born. The book traces the development of the Macintosh, from its inception as an underground skunkworks project in 1979 to its triumphant introduction in 1984 and beyond.
The stories in Revolution in the Valley come on extremely good authority. That’s because author Andy Hertzfeld was a core member of the team that built the Macintosh system software, and a key creator of the Mac’s radically new user interface software. Dubbed the “software wizard,” Hertzfeld was the ultimate insider.
Revolution in the Valley evolved from stories that Hertzfeld wrote and collected on his website, folklore.org, combining his own stories with those contributed by others to tell short snippets of a long tale.
“When I began to write stories for my website in June 2003, I had no intention of trying to publish them in book form,” Hertzfeld says. “I was excited by the idea of developing a web site to facilitate collective historical storytelling, where a group of participants could collaborate to recollect an interesting event. I chose the format of numerous interlinked anecdotes because it seemed natural for the web and better suited to a collaborative effort than a single, continuous narrative, allowing a tale to be elaborated indefinitely without compromising the voices of the individual authors.”
When Revolution in the Valley begins, Hertzfeld is working on Apple’s first attempt at a low-cost, consumer-oriented computer: the Apple II. He sees that Steve Jobs is luring some of the company’s most brilliant innovators to work on a tiny research effort, the Macintosh. Hertzfeld manages to make his way onto the Macintosh research team, and the rest is history.
Through lavish illustrations, period photos, and Hertzfeld’s vivid first-hand accounts, Revolution in the Valley reveals what it was like to be there at the birth of the personal computer revolution. The story comes to life through the book’s portrait of the talented and often eccentric characters who made up the Macintosh team. Some 30 years later, millions of people are benefiting from the technical achievements of this determined and brilliant group of people.
With the recent death of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, Revolution in the Valley is a particularly resonant recollection; in fact, Jobs helped Hertzfeld collect the unique archival photos gathered here. In Revolution, Hertzfeld describes Jobs’ “reality distortion field,” how the first Macintosh was influenced by Porsche and Louis Comfort Tiffany, and how the initial machine was autographed inside the case by each of the 35 team members. Steve Wozniak wrote the book’s foreword, framing the extraordinary story of the extraordinary young men who changed tech—and the modern world???forever.
About the Author
Andy Hertzfeld was a graduate student in computer science at UC Berkeley in January 1978 when he purchased one of the first Apple IIs. He quickly lost interest in grad school as he began writing programs for his Apple II, eventually leading him to join Apple Computer as a systems programmer in August 1979. He joined the Macintosh team in February 1981, and became one of the main authors of the Macintosh system software, including the User Interface Toolbox and many of the original desk accessories. He left Apple in March 1984, and went on to co-found three companies: Radius (1986), General Magic (1990) and Eazel (1999). In 2003, he developed web-based software for collective storytelling that he used to write the stories in this book. In 2005, he joined Google, and was one of the main creators of Google+.
So you didn’t stay up until nearly 3:00 am last Friday morning to pre-order your iPhone 4S like I did, huh? Well, you missed out on all the fun! So there you are contemplating if you should go stand in lines Friday at one of the three cellular carriers or at the Apple Store. What to do? If you’re thinking, ‘No way I’m standing for hours only to be told there are none left,’ then you have the online alternative. BUT, which one should you go with? Best Buy? Radio Shack? AT&T? Verizon? Sprint? Take a look at STELLAService found before making your next click below and do it the easy way!
New York City (October 13, 2011) – For consumers seeking to avoid lines by purchasing the iPhone 4S online, a report out today says Apple.com is hands down the best choice over the four other online resellers thanks to its consumer-friendly services and policies, including the superior quality of its customer service phone support and its expansive AppleCare+ warranty program.
“Apple.com outperformed its reseller partners hands down when it comes to customer service, and we found no reason that consumers should look anywhere else,” said STELLAService co-founder and CEO Jordy Leiser. “With pricing for the iPhone 4S uniform across all online sellers, the overall quality of customer service should be the deciding factor in choosing where to buy the iPhone 4S online”
For the report, STELLAService looked at the five retailers and carriers offering the iPhone 4S online – Apple.com, BestBuy.com, VerizonWireless.com, ATT.com, and Sprint.com. In addition to evaluating key policies and features, such as return and warranty policies, STELLAService rated the quality of customer service phone support by placing ten phone calls to each retailer and asking ten questions — from how to buy insurance to how to change a pass code lock.
Dedicated to helping consumers make more informed buying decisions, STELLAService is an independent company that leverages a nationwide network of full-time mystery shoppers to evaluate online retailers across more than 350 customer service metrics, including shipping, returns, and customer support.
Leiser said STELLAService conducted the study to provide consumers with clear guidance in light of unclear policies, misinformation, rumors, and scams relating to online retailers selling Apple products. Leiser points out that Apple.com, which provides a list of authorized online resellers for its popular products, such as the iPod and iPad, does not provide a list of authorized online sellers for the iPhone.
Other findings from the study include
To evaluate the quality of customer service phone support, STELLAService rated each seller based on factors such as product knowledge, issue resolution, and overall tone and attitude of the customer support representatives. Apple.com’s representatives earned the highest score overall (4 out of 5), significantly outpacing others when it came to their ability to address questions (4.4 for Apple vs. 3.6 for AT&T and Verizon). STELLAService said the average customer service quality score for consumer electronics retailers was 3.7.
While BestBuy.com allows customers to purchase the iPhone 4S online, it does not offer shipping and delivery. As of the days leading up to the iPhone 4S release, customers could only pick-up the product in stores.
Apple.com’s AppleCare+ warranty program is by far the most cost-effective. Even though it does not cover loss and theft, the monthly fees and deductions for BestBuy’s Geek Squad and AT&T’s and Verizon’s Asurion warranties come close to the cost of buying a completely a new iPhone.
Apple.com and BestBuy.com offer the most generous return window for a refund (30 days) versus 14 days for AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon
Apple.com and BestBuy.com do not charge customers for returning an iPhone 4S, while AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon each have a $35 restocking fee.
AT&T is only online seller that does not allow customers to trade-in old phones by mail. AT&T customers can only trade-in phones in-store.
About STELLAService
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When the first iPhone debutted in 2007, I dragged my kids with me to the local AT&T store in my small Central California town of Manteca. It was festive and pleasant as my children sat huddled together against the windows of the AT&T store listening to a story on my iPod. The now defunct bank Washington Mutual next store added to the excitement by passing out free hot dogs and drinks! In just a few hours, I was the fourth one into the store and minutes later had my 16GB iPhone!
I didn’t line up in the following years for the iPhone on its day of release but did have to weather some lines when I finally did make the upgrade purchase. This year, however, I’d rather not spend a day in the mall hoping the Apple Store does not sale out of inventory before it’s my turn. No, this time I am ordering online seeing how it went so well with Verizon iPhone 4 orders in February. Mmm, the irony unfolds.
So, I revved up my browser at 11:50 last night and logged into the Apple Store. By 11:58, up came the notice that the store would be back soon. I found this as a good sign. Apple was gearing up. By 12:05, I realized it was no longer a good thing. By 12:15, I was becoming irritated. By 12:30 am, it was down right uncalled for.
I monitored my twitter feed to see if others were experiencing the same issue. Indeed, I was not alone. Macworld’s Dan Frakes (@danfrakes) posted, “I’ve memorized the phone numbers up to España.” CNet’s Brian Tong (@brian_tong) blasted, “iPhone 4S pre-orders are Siri-ously L-A-M-E. Thanks AT&T and Apple!” I couldn’t resist replying, “@brian_tong If I had an iPhone 4S, I’d say, “Siri, tell me when Apple gets its act together and the web page is ready for orders.”"
Finally, at 12:35, Apple brought it’s site back online for pre-orders. But the joy was short lived as Frakes posted what we all were seeing, “And stuck on the “Are you a new or existing AT&T wireless customer” page. Continue takes me back to the same page over and over”. Worse yet, if you were like me, Firefox 7 for the Mac wouldn’t render the site properly – still doesn’t as of this writing – and it was not possible to even make your selection. Thankfully, I thought to open Safari and that got me quickly to Dan’s issue. Yet, some how Chris Pirillo (@ChrisPirillo) got through the process and confirmed his order.
Frantically, I kept acknowledging that I was an upgrade client after clicking the Continue button and the same page would return over and over. Tong commented on twitter, “This is a HORRIBLE experience, site wouldn’t work. The App got to the checkout phase and then hangs, and says “We’ll be back soon”" Frakes almost made it further but got, “”Your request couldn’t be processed.” Nooooooooooo”. He thought out loud, “I’m imagining a few people at the server farm saying, “Let’s just turn on one server at first, just to screw with them,” as we all in our virtual line continued through the frustrating process of trying to get the order to happen. Tong wrote what we were all thinking, “What a tease when you get to the FINAL “Check Out” screen, and then it says try again…and it never gets past it…”
Interesting enough, Verizon users were off in bed sleeping and having sweet dreams of a new iPhone 4S in the mail as they had no issue with their orders. @pdgill teased, “@danfrakes Verizon’s new tag line: Switch to us for the convenience of preorders!”
Comments in the iPhone 4S virtual line were humorous and it’s all that kept most of us going. @MacfusionGirl encouraged the twitter line, “This is the best iPhone line I’ve been in. You guys don’t smell. You’re not annoying, loud or stepping on my feet ”, even though it was nearly 2:00 am and most of us hadn’t showered since the day before.
Sadly, agony mounted as the morning wore on and Frakes noted, “Please wait while we pretend to process your request, raising your hopes a bit, then kick you out mercilessly.” I received the error, “We are temporarily unable to take iPhone orders. We apologize for this inconvenience. Please try again later.” Frakes blamed all of us stating that we had broke it.
Looking for other ways to pre-order, I grabbed my iPhone and opened the App Store app. I made it much further than I did on my Mac Pro; however, I still received an error message at the final screen. “Drat!” I yelled at 2:15 in the morning. Then, in a ray of hope, I searched the App Store for the illusive AT&T Upgrader that we had been hearing about all week. “Dude!”, it was there! I downloaded it, opened it after install, and walked through the steps. Amazingly it was quick and I had a new white iPhone 4S 32GB on the way!! It was only 2:30 am in morning.
As I looked one last time on twitter, I noted Frakes had made it through via the old-fashioned way on his desktop computer, tweeting, “OK, they must have turned on the other servers, because the site came back up and I completed the reservation in 30 seconds.”
After all that and a late night, I awoke early in the morning to find that my credit card had been denied! “You’ve got to be kidding?!” I mumbled to myself as I ran to my Mac to attempt a new order. Being a pro in navigating the Apple Store site, I was able to get through the upgrade pricing approval screen quiet quickly. Again, my card declined. Ugh! I used a second card and it thankfully it went through. Minutes later when I returned to the Apple Store site to verify my order, “We’ll be back soon” Post-It note had reappeared. I had just made it!
As to the failed card? Chase Fraud alert. I just got an automated call asking to authorize the denied charges hours later. Nice, Chase.