Tablet rumors: TV subscription talks stall, Verizon preps for 'big day' - Page 2

It would make more sense for Verizon's data-or-voice-only type network for the launching to be about the impending Apple tablet device rather than the iPhone.

As many have posted here and elsewhere, it's just not (yet) technically feasible for their launch to be about the iPhone: the Qualcomm chip that would enable a hybrid iPhone to use their network is not available yet, and Verizon's aggressive advertising against AT&T and the iPhone last Summer appear to doubly rule out the possibility.

All will be revealed soon...

I see it as being a new product with 100,000+ apps to choose from on day one. Tablet specific apps will come, maybe, but not immediately, not thousands anyway.

There are some apps built for one thumb use, like most included Apps, but many in the App store are not.

I left Sprint shortly after the iPhone was introduced. I just got an invoice from Sprint with a credit of $5.52, but no check. Just goes to show you how good other companies are. Verizon may have the better signal but I have found AT&T to be pretty responsive with any technical/billing issues.

Why must we continue to suffer with the stunning short-sightedness of TV companies? Does any cable giant think cable subscriptions are going to last forever?

The clinging to the business model of 20 years past is, to use someone else's phrase, breathtaking in its inanity.

Then there was that big row about NBC pulling their content off of iTunes way back.

It's Zuckerman and/or the board of NBC.


Because Netflix is neutral, they were going to buy a studio and thought better of it as it would them in competition with their content suppliers.

The AppleTV and iTunes won't get the neutrality and content from everyone like Netflix does, because Apple/Steve Jobs/Disney/ABC etc.

One can buy a $99 Rokor or use a disk for the PS3 or x-Box to stream unlimited and only pay $8 or $9 a month. Hard to beat that.

boygeniusreport ran a story yesterday that VZW warned stores of a big event on Wednesday. Out of norm of the normal 1Q launch of new devices

My experience was very similar.
Verizon has a better network but they insist on hamstringing the devices that use it.
AT&T is the opposite.

Nothing new here; like the Music and Movies Industry, they need to be dragged kicking and screaming into the new disposition, and don't expect them to show any gratitude for the reinvention of their market and reincarnation of their fortunes.

Living relics, that's what they are...

[CENTER]You obviously haven't experienced any of the newer Verizon/Google handsets... They 'hamstring' absolutely nothing, only provide the cellular network.[/CENTER]

Good job Joe. Way to give Miami a good name. And yes I'm sure it will come with one of those dusting clothes like the iP Touch or a new flat screen.

...why would I go to Verizon and experience their growth pains over the next few years....especially when:

• Verizon is slower (3.1Mb versus 3.4Mb/7.2Mb)
• Verizon can not support concurrent voice/data (deal breaker for me)
• Verizon does not have any rollover minutes
• Verizon does not offer any free wifi hostspots
• Verizon, once again, will take a good phone and reduce the potential BW from 7.2Mb to their crappy CDMA at 3.1Mb.

Go folks....more bandwidth for the rest of us.

Never said that, you got me mixed up with someone else.


Good to know thanks, still no method to distribute apps of a trade secret nature though.



The problem is as more and more people shift their uses to a closed UI Tablet based upon App Store apps, it lessons the need for open devices from Apple like Mac's.

Microsoft will have a field day with that!

Hopefully Apple will provide a approved "jail break" method to open the Tablet if the user needs too run programs of a high trade secret or specialized nature.

Apple could buy 51% controlling share in Comcast for about half of it's cash hoard and then just make NBC Universal ( 51% owned by Comcast) do the deal...but thats not Apple's style.

The networks that do sign on will just eventually outcompete those that don't into irrelevancy.

But this all depends on the tablet price. If it's CRAZY LOW to the point that Apple start selling 50 million a year then we could see a content revolution starting...

I bet the Apple TV APP is on this tablet.

Not from my experience. I've had both. Verizon wins...hands down.

Just buy a dev lic or whatever you gotta to be able to install your own apps and make your own. It's already possible with the OS and I'm sure any variation of the OS wouldn't change that.

I think the issue at hand is choice and competition, and that's good for everyone, even those who remain on AT&T.

Why in the world would anyone announce anything on the same day as the tablet? No-one's going to pay attention. Regardless of how people receive the tablet, everyone is going to be talking about it all day. If you wanted to bury bad news, tomorrow would be a great time to release it.

It seems more likely that their event is pure fabrication than VZW PR decided to hold a major event simultaneously with the Apple PR storm.

And I also don't understand the desire/interest in seeing iPhone apps on a tablet. Even if they did work --I don't much care either way-- I want different apps on the tablet. The whole reason I want the thing is because the iPhone apps are great for short, simple sessions - but they're (none of them) really suited to anything involved. I want different interfaces, more complexity. Compatibility with the existing apps is irrelevant.

[CENTER]Because Apple obviously desires to expand its Mobile OS (formerly known as the iPhone OS) into more capable devices with the introduction of the iPAD/Apple Mobile OS 4.0, yet offer a degree of backwards compatibility for those who already own iPOD Touch/iPHONEs.[/CENTER]

David Zucker screwed up but from what I hear he's a decent guy. Dick Ebersol (head of NBC Sports) on the other hand

I don't see why Steve Jobs being the majority shareholder in Disney should affect anything. It's not like Disney would get a more prominent place in the iTunes store or get higher revenues than the other networks. If the this is the reason, it would be a perceived bias and nothing that is based in reality. There would be binding contracts that wouldn't allow for any bias.

This is probably where the excitement and big-sell will come from - many of the vast number of iPhone apps, while being revolutionary utilities as stand-alone programs, will likely have their usefulness, capability and fun factor multiplied by running in a more powerful multi-tasking environment which the Tablet is likely to provide, leading to a new class: App Suites.

Visualise an environment in which 2 or more apps can not only operate simultaneously, but accept input and output to other apps in real time. Surely this would not require a reinvention of the wheel, as these apps already exist, perform familiar functions and would only require a common communication protocol to interoperate.

Think Productivity, Finance & Business (Spreadsheets, WP, Presentation, Dictation, VNC, iDisk, WebEx etc), Books (the obvious - Stanza, iVerse, Classics, various newspapers and magazines etc), Lifestyle and Social Networking (too many to mention), Music (another very interesting group given the BeatMakers, Star Guitars, Synths, Ocarinas, Sequencers and Multi-trackers) and finally Games (I rest my case).

I see some very interesting eco-systems, and possibly a new mobile computing platform developing over the coming years. Gadzooks!

I'm talking about a free GUI method, approved, safe and secure, jail break/reverse program for those that need to run apps that are not going to be distributed massively on the App Store without resorting to the developers license and the command line.

Naturally I expect it to come with conditions, like disabling cell phone connections and not running illegal copies of sold apps on the App Store. But it would give users choice if they wanted to opt out of the App Store limitations and control.

What does that have to do with anything?

I couldn't care less what goals any corporation does or doesn't have. I'm asking why any person interested in the tablet would care to even use an iPhone app on a 10" screen? There's buzz around a marketing-bullet-point non-feature that I just don't get.

It sounds good and desirable: "compatibility!"
But if you think about it, for even half a second, it just doesn't make any sense or matter.

Has anyone ever wanted their Android/iPhone/winMO apps on their laptop?

too bad most people like the app store. Android already pulled an app last month because it was a trojan seeking financial info. not one security incident so far with stock iphones that weren't JB'd

I am always intrigued by these talks with people who have 100% certainty that Apple is coming to Verizon, seeing as how if they were they would have been testing said device and have leaked out by now VZW is the worst at keeping news "secret".

Basically, the answer is ... games.

At least at first, most iPhone apps will look ridiculous on the larger screen, with the exception of games, which (sadly), form the most popular segment of iPhone apps.

To do anything productive on the tablet, you will need apps made for the tablet, (hopefully iWork will be available at the start). Likely there will be a blended mode, so that you could use an email application for example that would spread out to take over the larger real estate of the tablet and show you more things than the same app running on the iPhone, etc.

But in a sense, you are right. It's a bullet point feature that will be of little use to those of us that don't play many games and actually use the iPhone (and intend to use the iPad), for actual work.

I am familiar with the history of the iphone and the app store. I am talking 'sound bite' marketing. If 'it' can run all the iphone apps you can be sure that will be one of the 'facts' that will be reported widely in the mainstream press. What is important for the success of the 'thing' is a consumer 'buy in'. If you can say - oh, it runs 800 000 apps right out of the gate' it adds an element of reassurance. {edit} This point will be mute by the time the 'thing' is actually on the market{/edit}

By the way, can you quit centering your posts, please. It draws attention to itself for all the wrong reason and makes it hard to read.

In that case you're probably going to be out of luck. For YEARS Apple struggled to get apps made for the Mac platform that were available on the Windows platform. What they're doing with the app store is reversing the trend.

What I would like to see is, if I can record on my Touch, a dumb downed garageband (record at acc quality) would be really cool. iphoto or some photo editor just for simple mod b4 an upload would be nice. Photobooth would be cool, and iChat.

Most of all, being a musican, I want to use it as my mixer for Logic. NO knobs or slider, just a touch screen that can become any part of the mixing board. I know there's an app for the Touch to work with Pro Tools. This would blow it away!

This is already possible for the most part in that apps can poll all the main apps like Address book, email, etc. and use that information in their own integrated solution. Most of the integration you are talking about would be of that type where the information needed was in the calendar, the address book, etc.

Sadly, no developer has published any apps that use this functionality, they are all off at the goldrush making stupid games. Hopefully the tablet will see the advent of actual, useful, productivity apps and the silly games will start to be de-emphasised a bit.

People should still have a choice, like they have on their Mac's today.

Should the Mac become a closed device just because of a trojan in a pirated copy of Photoshop?


And actually the iPhone has a ton of Apple induced security and privacy issues.

Read this PDF (Windows users should avoid using Adobe Reader just in case)

http://seriot.ch/resources/talks_pap...onePrivacy.pdf

Nexus One is coming to Verizon soon and the Pre just started being sold by Big Red. if the iphone is really coming to VZW then you need to leak the news a few months early or people will just buy the Pre or N1

yes but they can do that and not go to Verizon, making a second phone etc. Just unlock the sim and let T-Mobile take on some of the load. The unlockers have proven the phone works on T-Mobile aside from the visual voicemail which could be set up for official support.

Frankly I still think that the iphone is NOT the issue. not this go around.I do not believe that Apple is going to make any comments about the iphone other than announcing to app develops that an SDK for 4.0 is about to release and as with last year, they need to have their apps tested by the official release in the summer if they want the apps to stay on the store.

I believe that folks are hearing "iphone os device" and assuming the phone. when it is not. it's the tablet. it is larger and can have a larger battery, plus simply more junk in the trunk. such as two chips for 3g. and they could unlock the works (plus make it optional) and hit all the various combos of users in ways the iphone with the required contract can not.

for the iphone itself, it is most logical that the start time on the contract was the first official iphone sale and ATT likely has clause upon clause prohibiting Apple from announcing anything that would cut into sales 5 months before any major change. So regardless of whether they do a
CDMA phone. Which I doubt, or at least that it would be all models( maybe THAT is the 8 GB 3gs that is coming out) or just unlock, we aren't likely to know until WWDC which will be only 2-3 weeks before release date.


if they were greedy they would be jumping in for the extra few cents.

the thing is (and I work in said industry as a content producer so I have a few clues) are not easy to set up. Studio contracts with production companies and Network contracts with Studios typically have clauses about profit sharing due to the requirement to pay royalties to the major cast and writers. So before committing, all the layers have to be reviewed. So it could simply be that not all the networks have been able to devote the time to this. Especially NBC which still has their legal department dealing with the failout of the Great Conangate. and if they don't feel confident that folks will sign up, why speed up things.

So what. so this subscription thing starts with only a few networks and shows. Each of us can examine how the system is going to work and how much we'd get out of it. If 50% of the shows you watch are in the system and the mechanics are to your tolerance (say you can have up to 10 shows downloaded at any time and they are expiring files similar to rents that last one week or one view. but you can redownload anything you want so that is okay with you). ANd you can tv.com/hulu etc the stuff that isn't there yet and drop cable and say a ton of money. You'll go for it. When the other kids see that yes it is a working system, they want to play also so they do what they need to jump in.

and another good point to consider. TV.com is owned by CBS and Hulu is owned by NBC. they are probably having to balance the notion of what they make there with this plan. especially with the rumors that hulu might add a paid no add premium service in the near future. Keep in mind that right now ad money is THE thing that keeps or cancels a show (which is what the ratings are all about) so anything that cuts into that is a bad thing. at least until the other stuff makes enough money to pick up the slack. and have the proper breakdown (which actual shows are being downloaded on any given day etc) to spread the money to the right folks.

I do not feel that the availability of television shows will have any bearing on the success of the tablet. Apple will not stick hdmi on this thing to hook up to your televisions. However, they will gladly sell you an apple tv (who's success hinges on the quantity and quality of content available through itunes)

[CENTER]
Well...

That largely depends of the app in question and the users needs. - Now Doesn't it?[/CENTER]

You do know in the USA we write from left to right THEN top to bottom. NOT the other way. SO I corrected it for you. Being different to be different isn't a good reason to be different. It just makes you look stupid. A Lot f the times I think your post is an ad and you almost get skipped. Not sure you want to be wasting all that energy typing if people just going to skip your post. Seems it's having the reverse affect you may have been looking for. Not all attention is good attention. Sometimes it's ok to listen and take advice. Hint Hint.

[CENTER]Actually, there will be a near 6-month period between the iPAD's introduction and actual 'on sale' date, so there will be plenty of time to get many essential apps up and running. Having an existing catalog of 100k plus apps will afford users a degree of comfort with the device from the very start.

As far as your request, NO... I take it that 'for all the wrong reasons' is because you don't like it, and your being bothered by something so trivial/insignificant speaks more of your intolerance than anything I'm doing. [/CENTER]

.....

as am I. I live and work in West Hollywood where the city wired wifi on all the major streets. between that and numerous bookstores, coffee shops etc (all with open wifi), and my own home, I can stay on 95% of where I am.

Now if I start doing more desert shoots I'll need 3g, but until then, I'd rather stay wifi only.


dream on. ATT's gig (and I hear it's pretty much the same across the board) has been to require any not your phone device to have its only line and it's own $30-50 a month (no voice just data).
this is the untold reason why they keep putting off tethering. they don't want to lose that monthly fee or the ETF they can charge if you cancel a contracted line.

Now that ya mention it... yes.

[CENTER]Given your (obviously) bitter/hostile attitude, I'd much rather you skipped my posts anyway.

So... About that Apple iPAD...
[/CENTER]

agreed. and more painful if it is a singular carrier. not matter which one is the chosen one


that depends on how it is presented. if it is presented as a smaller sized full powered computer sure. if it is presented from one word as a member of the iphone family, those traditional users will know that that lock down exists and will just go get a Macbook.

what will be curious to me is the Macbook Air. that baby has never really had the power to be more than a netbook with a little word processing and your itunes. so will it stick around after this or will it phase out.



that is the most logical and well put comment I have ever seen in regards to the 'it has to, they have to' demands that often turn up on forums like this (where 95% of the posters are geeks). be it the table, blu-ray, whatever.



the answer to both your comments is that there are options. the price point is off however, double it. and you've got tv show season passes on itunes, amazon on demand, the post season dvd box sets and even some blu-ray box sets.

all commercial free.

the trouble is that the networks can't figure out how to work such things into the budget recapture needed to keep a show on the air. right now that is all done via ratings and the ad money. some of it might be due to delayed turn over of said money so some work by the other side is also needed but the networks aren't pushing for it to happen and sticking with the questionably sound Nielsen ratings which keep pushing things like the Amazing Race 400 and the Biggest Douche Bags in America on us


that's part of why it will be announced a month before release. accessories. including the new Jizz Screen. Slip on this sturdy clear plastic screen with a shock absorbing side and back plate and have at it. easy to clean up mess and no damage down if you drop it in the excitement.


yes but that meeting could be to address the tablet being available on the network as ONE of the options, not necessarily THE option. cause they know that folks will be running in right away with questions. can they get it at the Verizion stores, what's the rate plans, will there be a subsidy. can you go no contract (with no ETF). what if you buy it at the store or someone gives you one as a gift. can you get service, will there be a rebate or anything if you do a contract and so on. and yes if nothing is said about a Verizon iphone, what reply should they give to "I heard a rumor"