apple

According to a new set of statistics from tech analyst firm Canalys, Apple is now the world's largest manufacturer of computers. But the figures include gadgets such as the iPad tablet device, causing some to wonder exactly what it takes for a ... device to be defined as a computer. The figures cover shipments during the last three months of 2011 . They show that Apple shipped 20 million "personal computing devices," accounting for 17 per cent of the worldwide total. In second place belongs to Hewlett-Packard (HP) with 12.7 per cent, followed by Lenovo at 11.2 per cent, Dell at 9.9 per cent and ... (view more)

Apple says it sold 15.4 million iPads globally last quarter, more than double sales during the same period in 2010. This makes for an incredible 39 per cent increase over the iPad's former record quarter, when Apple sold 11.1 million units. Industry ... analysts at IDC (International Data Corporation) say they believe Apple sold more iPads than HP, Lenovo, or Dell sold 'traditional' computers in the quarter. Expert: Pressure From iPad Will Help PC Market However, it may not be all doom and gloom for the PC. David Daoud at IDC thinks that pressure from Apple's tablet could lead to widespread ... (view more)

Apple is under intense scrutiny this week following a CNN (Cable News Network) report revealing brutal working conditions at a supplier facility in Chengdu, China. Apple, meanwhile, say it insists it asks suppliers to treat employees with respect. ... CNN recently visited the Chengdu-based Foxconn Technology Group plant where it interviewed an 18-year-old factory employee. Known only as "Miss Chen" to the CNN audience (to protect the identity of the worker), the young employee was astonished when presented with an Apple iPad, the product she helps to make. Chen, like many workers at Foxconn -- ... (view more)

Legendary rock musician Neil Young intends to release a digital music player and service, claiming to offer better-quality music than Apple's iTunes or Amazon.com's digital download platform. Young, widely known for hits like "Old Man," "Rockin' in ... the Free World," and "Heart of Gold," says he originally worked on a similar project with Steve Jobs, former Apple chairman, but the experiment was sidetracked and shelved by the Cupertino, California firm. Compression Reduces Quality of Music Young says his goal is to offer a device that plays music of the highest quality. For those who aren't ... (view more)

Microsoft's marketing division has undergone some significant changes in recent days, as the company laid off approximately 200 employees. Some of its most prominent Xbox marketing executives have even left for industry rival, Apple. According to ... reports, the recent layoffs were almost entirely limited to the Seattle area, and are designed to eliminate redundant positions and clear up where responsibilities lie. To many observers, it appears that Microsoft's goal in the restructuring is to improve the efficiency of the company's marketing. 3% Cut From Microsoft's Marketing Force It also ... (view more)

The law firm that accused Apple of conspiring to fix the prices of electronic books has made new allegations, offering quotes from key Apple executives, including former Apple boss Steve Jobs, as evidence of collusion. Hagens Berman has filed a ... class action suit on behalf of everyone who bought an electronic book during a particular period, alleging that Apple offered two different pricing systems: a 'traditional' and an 'agency' model. The traditional model originated with Amazon for its Kindle books, and copies pricing for printed books: the publisher charges retailers a fixed price, ... (view more)

Those of us who attended college know just how expensive course textbooks can be. So it's good news that students may be able to purchase much cheaper, digital editions of these required texts for their iPad tablet computers. Apple recently unveiled ... iBooks 2, software it says could revolutionize the U.S. (and perhaps global) education market. Apple has been working closely with major textbook producers, including Pearson PLC, McGraw-Hill, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, in search of a viable, digital alternative to those very expensive physical texts. Together, these three firms own roughly 90 ... (view more)

A new report reveals that only a tiny portion of all people with a tablet computer right now are using one that runs the Windows 7 operating system (OS). According to statistics from research firm Strategy Analytics, Microsoft's operating system ... provides the software basis for just 1.5 per cent of tablets sold during the fourth quarter of 2011. The report reveals that 27 million tablet computers sold in the fourth quarter of 2011, a big increase from the fourth quarter a year ago. "Global tablet shipments reached an all-time high of 26.8 million units in Q4 2011, surging 150 percent from 10.7 ... (view more)

New reports suggest that the next generation of the popular iPad tablet computer, the iPad 3, is already being manufactured. The release date is rumored to be only 2-3 months away. While it might seem like a short turn-around since the iPad 2's ... unveiling , a March 2012 release for the iPad 3 makes sense. The first iPad was released in April 2010, while its successor, the iPad 2, was released last March. A third spring release would lead many to believe that a new Apple tablet is almost an annual guarantee. iPad 3 Production Underway in China Industry analysts at Bloomberg say they believe a ... (view more)

Sir Jonathan Ive, who is Apple's senior vice president of Industrial Design and a man Steve Jobs once described as his "spiritual partner," has been made a Knight Commander of the British Empire. Ive, who was born in London, England, has worked at ... Apple, based in Cupertino, California, for nearly twenty years. In 1996, he was promoted to lead Apple's design team. There he played a key role in the development of the iMac, the iPod and the iPhone. According to many observers, Ive can be credited with helping Apple to establish its current reputation as the source of some of the tech industry's ... (view more)