The "Should I Queue Up For An iPhone 4S Sight Unseen?" Guide

Apple recently announced an upgrade to the 14 month old iPhone 4 and added an S to the name "For Speed". It will be available in Australia on October 14th and is available for pre-order direct from Apple at full price now. However most Australians get their iPhones for free on a new carrier contract and at time of press, Australian carriers have yet to announce their plans. So, it's likely you will get the opportunity to line up for the new phone at a store near you... but is an upgraded iPhone 4 worth queuing up for when there are so many other smart phones on the market right now?

The good news for current iPhone users mid-contract is that the two best features of the iPhone 4S will be available for the iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS for free via a software update from iTunes. Let's have a look:

iCloud
iCloud is Apple's killer new free service that allows you to set up all the essential features of your iPhone and have all your important data backed up to the cloud without ever plugging it into a computer. All you have to do is enter your iTunes account and password when you set up your phone. What does that mean? It means if you get drunk and lose your iPhone you no longer have to make one of those embarrassing posts on Facebook asking for everyone's phone numbers again. When you get your replacement iPhone, just enter your iTunes account details and all your phone numbers and important App data will be restored as if you had never lost your phone in the first place. iCloud has many other features including backing up your photos by sending them automatically back to your PC and provides you with an @me.com email address which is not only free of charge but ad-free as well.

iOS5
Also available for free on October 14th for current iPhone 4 and 3GS users is a new version of the built in software called iOS5. There are many new features but some of the more popular ones include a new notification system that can alert you when a new SMS or Facebook message arrives without pausing the video or game you are playing. A history of alerts you may have missed since you last looked at your phone is also available from an Android-like "Notification Centre" accessible by swiping your finger down from the top of the screen. There is also a new background service called "iMessage" that allows you to send Text messages for free to friends and family that also have iOS5 installed on their iPhone / iPod Touch or iPad. If they don't have iOS5, it will just send the message as an SMS. If you want to send free messages to your friends on Android, Nokia or Blackberry though, you will still have to get an app like WhatsApp.

So what is so special about the iPhone 4S that I can't get on my old iPhone?
The iPhone 4S looks identical to the iPhone 4 but on the inside there have been some changes. So what's good, what's so-so and what is bad?

Good: New Chip
The main new feature is the A5 chip, the same processor that powers the iPad 2. The A5 is not only dual-core, making features like the camera snappier, but it is also slightly more battery efficient giving you an extra hour of 3G talk time [Note: Wifi browsing time has supposedly decreased an hour :( ]. Battery life is the iPhone's biggest strength over the Android platform and it just got may be better. Graphics performance is also increased to the point that, in some cases, it surpasses the abilities of most video game consoles, all on a phone screen that is still the envy of the industry.

So-So: New Voice Control Software
The new processor enables Apple to introduce some new beta voice recognition software called Siri, described as a "Personal Assistant". This will be useful for those who want to be able to send SMS and control their iPhone handsfree while in a Bluetooth car mount or with other hands-free kits. For most people though, especially when they aren't driving, the privacy of using the touch interface is a much nicer way to control your iPhone than looking like a weirdo talking at your phone. You can watch Apple's video about Siri over at their website and see if it is for you.

So-So: Faster Downloads

This is good but will be carrier dependant so it remains "so-so". The 4S has support for faster downloads using HSPDA technology at up to 14.4Mbps. Using 3G HSPDA instead of 4G for fast downloads also means much better battery performance while a new antenna system may also improve things for other networks.

So-So: No Form Factor Changes
The 4S retains the iPhone 4's design, which although for some has become somewhat "boring", it remains classic and timeless. All that glass also means it looks great in commercials. However, the design isn't all that practical with the sharp metal edges not that nice in hand and the glass being prone to shattering for anyone who does not keep it in a rubber bumper. The glass also helps make the iPhone 4S one of the heaviest smartphones out there. There were rumours that it would be replaced in some part by Carbon Fibre or Liquidmetal but that looks like it will be reserved for the next big revision.

The biggest drawback of the design remains the choice of hardware buttons. The design strangely omits a play/pause button in favour of two volume adjusters. I don't know about you, but all my audio content is available on-demand. Even internet radio on the TuneIn App is buffered so that you can pause at any time. When I am interrupted while listening, I would much rather pause the content to give my full attention rather than lower the volume and miss some content and/or fail to provide my full attention. If I don't have Apple headphones with the built in remote, which is quite often, my current workflow is to pull the headphone jack from its socket to pause the content in a timely manner and give the world my full attention. To restart the content you then have to pull the phone from your pocket, re-plug your headphones, double tap the home button and then tap the play button without accidentally hitting the back or next buttons that are located idiotically close together. This is a terrible user experience.

Someone please tell me why it is more important to have volume buttons in hardware than a play / pause button when you already have a silent switch to quickly kill the ringer?

iOS5 at least adds the ability to take a photo with the volume buttons but not only are they on the wrong side to how people normally take a photo with their phone but + and - buttons on a camera normally indicate the ability to offer zoom control.

Debatable: New Camera
Apple seems to have put in a lot of work trying to improve their camera although some of their changes seem questionable. The iPhone 4 still has one of the best ever cameras found on a phone. For the iPhone 4S, Apple has had added a faster lens that can take photos at an aperture of f2.4. This is great but unfortunately it seems they have added it to compensate for an 8 megapixel sensor that is still the same size as the old sensor, which as good photographers know, means the pixels are too small for a device that size. Apple has acknowledged this problem and has also improved the backside illumination to assist each pixel straining for light to eke out improvements in picture quality. Whether or not this will actually be enough, Apple are still better in this regard than many other manufacturers that try and scam not-so-savvy consumers into thinking the more megapixels the better. Despite that, I don't think that gives Apple an excuse to try and make this move though. Imagine if they had put the same upgraded backside illumination into a naturally more efficient 5 or 6MP sensor with that great new lens? The results could of been amazing.

The proof will be in the detailed hands-on reviews but the slight increase in picture quality may be hard to justify the larger file sizes of the 8MP photos and 1080p video. Fewer photos and videos will be able to be stored on your iPhone and when users fill up their memory, iOS5 purges data cached from iCloud and other sources, hindering performance of your apps. Of course this may be a conscious decision on Apple's part to encourage you to get the new 64gb model. Also important to consider is that since every photo is now being sent to iCloud after it is taken, the larger uploads will likely decrease battery life. This could scare users away from using iCloud which would be a real shame. This is not a deal breaker, it's just disappointing.

Bad: No Obvious Game Changing Feature
I lot of people have felt let down by this release. The fact that they spent four extra months than usual working on what is just an upgrade of their old phone means questions will start to be asked about whether or not Apple is sitting on their laurels. The next big frontier in the smart phone market is likely digital wallets and easier interactions between devices using technologies like NFC. We now know it's likely going to be a year until Apple shows its hand in this area and Google may well be on its way by then.

Of course, there is a real game changing feature that Apple is releasing:  iCloud. Unfortunately, due to its backwards compatibility with older devices and with its seamless integration, like with iMessages, consumers may tend to take it for granted or not even know it is there... unless something goes wrong.

Conclusion: Is it worth upgrading to the iPhone 4S?
If you are out of contract on an iPhone 3G or 3GS and you want a new phone that can run all the cool Apps you have bought on the App Store, the decision is easy. The 4S takes great features from the classic looking iPhone 4 and adds the A5 processor. The new chip is worth it alone, future proofing you so that by the end of your two year contract your phone should still be running the latest apps and games.

If you already have an iPhone 4 you can relax, you still get iCloud and iOS5 for free. This time next year there will likely be a new iPhone with many more temptations.

If you still have a "dumb" phone or you're sick of Android and considering moving to the iPhone, the 4S is not such a bad place to jump in. The simplicity of iCloud keeping your data backed up and the awesome range of high quality mobile apps are worth it alone without even considering the hardware.

What Size Should I Get?
Normally I suggest getting the model with the smallest amount of space since those who usually fill it up are the ones who know how to use iTunes Home Sharing and apps like Air Video etc to stream their content to your iOS device. iCloud should also allow us to store more stuff in the cloud and less on our phone. Unfortunately due to the decision to use 8MP photos and 1080p video and the strange mix of wireless syncing solutions in iOS5, if you like taking lots of videos and photos on your phone but too lazy to micromanage the storage, you're probably going to be looking at needing at least 32gb, perhaps even 64gb. So, consider how you use your phone first.

Expectations of the Next-Gen iPhone

So, there is probably going to be at least one new iPhone announced this week.  What it's going to be called doesn't really matter that much but what it will change does.  If I had a dollar for every person who has asked me what will be "new" about the next iPhone I would be much better off than I am.  The important thing about these questions has been the tone.  My impression of the general public is they're sceptical about what the next iPhone could possibly add to make it worth upgrading from their current phone or delaying their purchase of the iPhone 4.

So what should we expect from a new iPhone?  We don't need more megapixels in the camera and it could be debated as to why a phone with limited multitasking functionality actually requires a dual-core processor.

What will Apple be attempting to do with the next version of the iPhone? Will they go for a big swing in an attempt to innovate and change the way we use technology again? Or, knowing that the iPhone 4 is currently selling better than ever, will they release a very conservative update that sits on the laurels of the current iPhone?

Although they are still on his product road-map, right now, after the transition of Steve Jobs from CEO to chairman and the success of the iPhone 4, It's harder to tell than ever.


So What Do I Expect From A New iPhone?
Well, if for some strange reason I was at Apple and tasked with deciding on features for a possibly conservative (hardware wise) update of the phone, what would I try and do?

I'd try and look at some of the things we commonly attempt to do on a "smart" phone but fail to do so due to over-complication.  I would also look at the way we are using mobile technology today and how it's affecting our life.

Yagan Kiely recently wrote a good piece titled Internet Vs Life.  He looks at a number of articles that discuss the way technology affects our social interactions.

It’s not as if people want to avoid interacting with people so they can use their phone, it’s that people want to avoid interacting with people, so they use their phone.

He argues that technology helps us be anti-social when we want to be anti-social and I agree but feel technology still needs to avoid getting in the way of itself when we use it to aid our meatspace social lives.

As with everyone else, I am well aware of these changes. While working at a restaurant for two years as a waiter I saw a steady increase of phones moving from the pocket or the handbag to sitting on the table.  This also coincided with the rise of services like Twitter and Foursquare.  These are just two services on our phones where we share what we are doing right now.  The success of these services of course lead to the rise of Facebook tagging and many other clones as well but.... who are we sharing this interaction with? Certainly not the friends who are actually attending the event with us.  They have to log into their own social service on their own phone to participate in the content you are generating.  If you're both looking at your own phones to share "content" that you are supposedly generating together, there is a disconnect between both you, your friend and the event you are attending.  These "social" services are a window into the wider world that we are busy staring into instead of the person in front of us.  They de-value the time you give the friend/s you are actually in the presence of by putting everyone else in the world on equal footing.

Technology is not just the cause of this problem, it should be the solution.

Let's say you're on holiday and you're visiting a Zoo with your new friend Amy who you just met on the tour.  You take a funny picture of yourself and Amy standing in front of a Lion with your iPhone.  If you want to share that photo with your friends Fred and Jill who are 3000km away, you post it to your social service.  Now, how do you share that photo with your friend Jill who is standing right next to you?  Well, currently, this is what Apple suggests:



In reality, the interaction would probably go something like this.

Amy:  Can I get a copy of those photos?
You:  Sure, what's your email address?
Amy:  Ok it's a-m-y-underscore-i....
You: Wait just opening my contacts to add you...
Amy: Ok...
You:  You know what would be easier, there is this cool app called Bump where you can swap contacts and photos and Facebook friend requests just by bumping your phones together.  It's really cool.  Do you have it?
Amy:  No.
You:  Oh well, it's on the app store.  You should get it.  It's free.
Amy:  Ok... so, I just search for "Bump"
You:  Yeah?  It should come up.
Amy:  Ugghhh, stupid autocorrect.... Ok... It's Searching
You: Ok.
Amy: Aahh, It's still searching.   3G sucks out here
You:  No worries.
Amy:  Ok, I think I got it.  Now, what's my password...  They just made me change it so I had to include capital letters and numbers now....  aahh stupid touch keyboard.
You: No worries.
Amy:  Uggghhh, It's not downloading... stupid Telco.  Hey, have you added me on Facebook yet?  Why don't you just put them on there and tag me.
You:  Ok.... did Bump download?
Amy:  No, I canceled it, I'll get it later when I'm on Wifi.  We have to see the seals before closing time.
You:  *Awkard sorry-for-trying-to-get-something-awesome-to-work look*


Life tends to take the path of least resistance and Amy ends up getting the same crappy low res versions of the photos as every other one of your 400 Facebook friends or Twitter followers.  You should never ever ever have to use a touch keyboard to send a photo, video, share a favourite app, song, or even send a follow, friend, game-request or for that matter, initiate any technology interaction with a fellow "smart" phone user when they are right next to you.

This is just one example of many where the potential of smartphones fail to materialise in reality because of the obstruction of extremely simple tasks by over-complicated workflows.

Apple became successful by solving these kinds of barriers to technology.  From getting on the internet in less than five minutes with the original iMac to burning home movies with iDVD.  Why did they try and solve those problems? It wasn't like Microsoft was trying to solve them, the world was quite happy buying copies of Windows 95 like hotcakes.  Apple made those products because that's what made them special, it's what differentiated them and ultimately lead to their current success.  Now that the iPhone 4 is selling like hotcakes, why should Apple continue to smooth the barrier between life and technology?

So if they are going to add a new hardware component, like they added the gyroscope and LED last year, what should they add?  There are so many cool technologies out there dying to be implemented in a way that people actually use them.  NFC, Bluetooth 4.0, QR Codes not to mention what Bump can already do for those that have it installed.  What is Apple going to do with all this tech to make it ubiquitous and useable?  Sure the Siri personal assistant technology sounds interesting but unless you're driving, voice control is almost definitely an even worse way to control a device than a touch keyboard.  Besides, if you take public transport you won't be seen dead talking at your phone.  Even if you have a car, we probably won't be driving them for much longer.

Apple have so much power in their hands right now.  Millions of people are going to buy the iPhone 5, one simple new feature could again totally change the way millions of people use technology every day. They could also just put in a faster chip, add some megapixels and/or a new colour.  Why do more?  The iPhone 4 is their best selling device ever.

The problem is, that's what I would expect from Microsoft. Not Apple.

I don't want to talk to my phone, I just want to talk and share to the friends on the other end and most importantly the friends sitting with me.

Can This Apple Be Cooked? - Bye Steve, You'll Be Missed

So Steve Jobs has resigned from Apple, It's sad news to wake up to as he is undoubtably a hero of mine.  

It's not a surprise at all given his recent efforts to cement his legacy.  The NY Cube he paid for is being dismantled, development of Next Infinite Loop (the new Apple Campus) is suddenly in progress again after languishing in his priorities in recent years, an internal Apple University has been established at the company and his official biography's release has been pushed forward, no doubt in anticipation of this announcement.  What is really sad is the thought that given how passionate Steve is about having control of Apple, it's likely that he would have to be seriously ill to make this decision.  I fear that he may not live out the year.  I do truly hope that he gets to spend Christmas with his family but let's not dwell on his personal misfortunes which really isn't any of our business. Let's look at the future of Apple, his great passion.

So Tim Cook is replacing Steve as CEO...

The only thing shocking about this is how many people seem to be fine with it. I expected more discussion.  If you read the press, it seems that everything will be "Steady as she goes" at Apple.  Sure, the company can do "just fine" running on fumes for the next 10 years with the amount of cash Apple has on hand but while Microsoft seems to be taking this strategy, that's not what got Apple that cash pile in the first place.

Tim Cook is reportedly a genius behind the scenes and a significant portion of that cash is due to his impressive ability to create profit margins on Apple's devices that are the envy of the industry...  but the millions of people out there buying millions of Apple devices don't give a stuff about Apple's profit margins.  If Tim Cook is really such a brilliant COO, shouldn't he be remaining as COO and concentrating on what he is great at?  Although he has supposedly been at the helm while Jobs has been on sick leave, let's make no mistake, if Jobs wasn't in complete control while home sick in bed, we would have had this announcement either a lot earlier or we would have had it delayed well after the iPhone 5 announcement.

The surprisingly high level of ignorance shown about Steve Jobs's importance to Apple by so many people is probably the number one reason why many of Apple's competitors consistently fail to replicate their success.  Even John Gruber, a notable Jobs fan, has oddly contradicted himself within the space of a week about the influence a CEO has over his/her company.  When discussing the demise of the HP Touchpad last week, he had this to say about HP's CEO Léo Apotheker.

 You don’t bring in an enterprise consulting guy to turn around a PC and device maker. You bring in an enterprise consulting guy to turn a PC and device maker into an enterprise consulting company.

Then just today he said this:

The thing to keep in mind is this: Apple tomorrow, a week from now, and next month is the exact same Apple from yesterday, a week ago, and last month. Tim Cook wasn’t named “CEO” until today, but he’s been the chief executive at the company since Jobs started this — his third — medical leave back in January

According to Gruber, HP changed it's business model because they hired a CEO with a history in business services. What will Apple become under Tim Cook? A man who is all about dollars, cents and component costs.

Steve Jobs's final work as CEO is likely set in stone for the rest of this year and I guess, if we do see changes to Apple's philosophies, we may not see them till at least next year.  Jobs has built an impressive team of Vice-Presidents like Jonathon Ive and Bob Mansfield who are full of talent, but let's not diminish the importance of leadership, not by a team, but one man with a singular vision and focus.

Ask yourself, how long would Jonathan Ive have lasted at another company like Dell or HP trying to convince their CEO to carve a laptop out of a single slab of aluminium?  Sure, Cook might be able to see the cost advantages of doing so, but would he want the product made out of aluminium in the first place?  I'm sure the margins on the products would be improved if Apple just used plastic to make their Macbook Pros.

Let's face reality, Steve Jobs is a visionary and has no peer in the Tech industry.  To find one, you have to look elsewhere. I feel a director of a film is perhaps a better comparison.  Great films are made by great teams, but those great teams are always lead by a director who has a singular vision.  Having too many cooks in the kitchen, as you all should know, is never a good idea.

I'll just give one director as an example but you could find many others.

Paul Thomas Anderson
Visionary writer / director of four of the most visually stunning and critically acclaimed contemporary films of the past 20 years.

• Boogie Nights
• Magnolia
• Punch-Drunk Love
• There Will Be Blood

What else do all these films have in common?  They were all shot by cinematographer Robert Elswit, a magician with light.  PT Anderson's right hand man.

But let's see four of Robert Elswit's other films when he wasn't collaborating with PT Anderson:

• Salt
• American Dreamz
• Gigli
• Bounce

It's quite possible that the latter four films made more money than the former but nobody will remember them in the years to come.  Apple doesn't have millions of fans because they make so much money, Apple is celebrated by the greater population because they make great products.  Can Tim Cook go from being a manufacturing guy to being a product guy?

Sure, Jonny Ive and Tim Cook and the rest of the senior vice-presidents are an amazing team but it took the singular vision and focus of one man to hire them, promote them, guide them and put them on the right track.  Apple's success came because it was run more like a film production, with many immensely creative people working behind the scenes.  The key to all the great films (ignoring the freaks that are the Coen Brothers) is that they are all helmed by one person who knew when to say yes, when to say no and do so with taste.

Does Tim Cook have that vision? I know I'm sounding negative, he could turn out to be amazing, I should perhaps be giving him more of a chance.  I just can't help but think that Apple succeeded because they had the product guy up top and they had the money guy backing him up, just as Pixar succeeded with John Lasseter at the top with Steve Jobs backing him. Who is going to replace Cook as COO if he's as brilliant as everyone says he is?  I wish him my best luck but if I was an investor in Apple stock, I would seriously look into this transition and consider that Apple might have peaked.

More than anything, I wish Steve the best of luck, it's sad to hear that some people still downplay the value you brought to the company you founded.  Perhaps they will in years to come, until then, I'm sure all true Apple fans are hoping that Jobs's final legacy is his greatest achievement of all.

The Major Oversight of Google Plus's Circles

In the few hours between the announcement of Google Plus and finding my place in the field test, I was super excited by most of the features, especially Circles. It captured my attention in the tour by saying "sharing the right stuff with the right people shouldn’t be a hassle."

Facebook's combination of Friend Lists and custom privacy settings offers a very powerful way to isolate exactly who you want to share certain content with (Screenshot Below). The problem is that so few people know how to utilise it. The Friend List option has all but been hidden away and I doubt that the common user even realises what the padlock on the Sharing field even does.

The Facebook privacy settings allow you to make a piece of content visible to select number of people as well as entire lists of people. It becomes even more powerful because it gives you the option to exclude specific people or specific lists of people who may already be included by default in the originally delegated selection of people and lists. Super powerful feature but by the time you have got to this point you have probably lost 95% of your users.

Most anecdotes I have heard suggest that many people just delete someone when they are worried about them seeing a certain piece of content. This envitably creates an awkward moment whenever you have to share something with that person in the future or *shock horror* bump into them in the real world.

Google Circles on the other hand suggested that it had solved this problem, offering a GUI metaphor to make the ability to isolate content to a specific set of people super easy. The concept was circles and the logo suggested that the GUI implementation would be Venn Diagrams. A visual way of representing isolation of groups that almost every person is familiar with from some of the earliest levels of education.

It would be a GUI that allowed you to merge a number of your Circles and select the exact sectors you would like to share content with. This sounded great. I became even more confident when I heard that Andy Hertzfeld had worked extensively on the GUI for the Circles interface. This would have been groundbreaking, like Jonathon Ive often says, it is so simple it just makes sense.

Alas, unless I am missing something, this is not the case. Not in the beta at least. You can share to one circle or a number of circles but you can do no mixing or matching and ultimately, although it is easier to create a Circle than a Facebook Friend List, the interface for sharing content is fairly similar to Facebook except not as powerful. An opportunity missed.

So, just in case any Google Plus engineers are reading and they need the concept I'm talking about explained to them, I've made up some scrappy diagrams to help give you the gist. They are not intended to be the GUI, just an example of what the GUI would effectively be doing in the background for the user.

So, say you want to share information about a Star Trek convention that is happening in your city, who would you want to share that information with? Well, you'd want to share it with your fellow Star Trek loving fans who ALSO live in your city. You may also want to avoid sharing this information with a girl you are wooing who you feel may not be quite ready to learn this side of your personality just yet. We can use your Star Trek Fans circle and your circle of people you know who live in your city. See below:

So, simply by using a GUI to merge your two circles you can select the merged sector as the specific set of people you would like to share that piece of information with. The GUI could also populate each sector of the diagram with the icons of your friends so that the user gets a clear visualisation of the people they are including or excluding from this information.

That's not all you can do. A user could also use subtraction (without knowing they are doing mathematics) and select one of the un-merged sectors of the diagram to to make sure that content that is not appropriate for certain people but who may be in more than one circle are still excluded from the content. Example Below:

Wouldn't it be great if you could share those hilarious drunken photos with your friends but exclude your friends that may also be your co-workers / bosses / family / crushes etc?

What's more, wouldn't it be a whole lot easier to do this if they used a simple GUI based on the Circles they already allow you to create? Sure, this might have taken me a long time to explain, but once you have set this up and presented it to the user, the simple visualisation of how to control what content they sharing and to who will take them forward from there.

Currently it seems to be russian roulette as to who I am sharing with now, I can't always remember who is in each circle. Are some people I want to include being excluded? Are some people I don't want to include being included? The current Google Circles interface doesn't help you find this out any easier than Facebook and its the Facebook users Google has to convince to switch.

Free Idea: "The" Alternative Mac App Store

This is hardly an original idea but I’m surprised it isn’t discussed more often. When the Mac App Sore was released by Apple, there seemed to be a few complaints about the restrictions required to be in the store. These restrictions would prevent a number of apps from taking part (Any app that requires root permission I think? Amongst others.). People started to worry that those apps would be lost in the spotlight. There is also the possibility that once consumers get a taste of the experience from buying from an app store and became reliant on it, Apple may decide to lock down the hatches even further. Like iOS, apps for Mac OS X that are not obtained from the App Store may be locked out entirely one day.

Thankfully though, Mac OS X is still currently running free and you can still install any app you like outside Apple's new walled garden and it doesn’t have to be a Web App. What I hope is that one day, the very first app you install outside of the Mac App Store world will be an “Alternative” Mac App Store.

The Background
This is not such a crazy idea, there is already more than one major online Apple software store… and I’m not talking about Amazon’s barely discoverable effort. I'm not even talking about iOS's Cydia either. There is in fact one MAJOR modern alternative App Store already available and already selling apps for the Mac:

Steam.

Steam, in case for some strange reason you don’t know, is a cross-platform, digital distribution and digital rights management system for video games and its available for the Mac. It is essentially an App Store.

Created by Valve, it has remained strongly independent and successful despite direct competition from the creator of the largest platform that Steam sells content for. Steam has been so successful that Microsoft had to dramatically change its "Games On Demand" strategy.

Log in with your Steam account from any computer which has the Steam software installed and you can purchase new games, re-download your previous purchases and in many cases, pick up where you left off in a game on a different computer (Windows or Mac).

So… what about it?

The Idea
Well, what I am pitching (for free) to some savvy company out there (perhaps Amazon or MacHeist?) is for someone to create “THE” Alternative Mac App Store.

Obviously, this app store won’t be installed by default on all Macs, so it will lack the advantage of the exposure this provide’s Apple’s offering. However, It’s the kind of apps that are not currently allowed to join the official Apple party, and the users who seek these kinds of apps out, that will drive business to this store initially. For example, one of my favourite “little” apps that is unlikely to be found in the App Store is Super Duper. The need to purchase this app alone would get me, or most savvy Mac users like me, to install the Alternative Mac App Store.

Eventually, over time, and once the platform demonstrates that it is stable, the store could attract much bigger software companies like Adobe, Microsoft and Autodesk. These software makers have licensing terms and paid-upgrade requirements that Apple would not allow in its store.

So Why Do These Apps Need Their Own Store?
There are many benefits that digital distribution stores like Steam and the Mac App Store provide such as:

1. Single-Sign-On Digital Rights Management.
2. Re-downloading of previous purchases.
3. Central App Update Management
4. Reviews / Recommendations (Engine Generated or Social)
5. Sales Charts
6. Seat Management (How many devices are authorised to use that software)
7. Promo Codes for PR / Press

However, it's not just the more diverse range of available apps that will attract users and developers to support the Alternative App Store. It is the extra features it can support that are currently lacking in the Mac App Store (and some that may never arrive) that can give it the edge. Including:

1. Free trials
2. Sort by “Best Reviewed Apps"
3. "System Utilities" and Plug-Ins available for purchase.
4. App gifting (Missing from the Mac App Store)
5. Wish-lists (Missing from the Mac App Store)
6. Retrospective integration (Already purchased an app outside the store? Enter your old serial code and have that app added to your purchased list with all the central DRM benefits)
7. Pack sales (Like MacHeist)
8. Family packs / Business group purchases for bulk “seats”.
9. Paid upgrades
10. Automatic background updates for apps (Like Google Chrome)
11. Support for GPL based software.
12. Tip-jar support for freeware / open source software.
13. Retrospective tips for apps you have already downloaded.

With independence from Apple, the possibilities don’t end there!

Solutions That Already Exist
As far as I can tell, the closest thing the Mac platform currently has is Bodega. Bodega allows you to search for, get reviews on and then purchase apps. It stores all your registration numbers from the Apps you purchase as well. This isn't the Steam-like cloud based solution we are looking for but until then check it out.

The Cydia Mac App store was meant to be "just a few weeks" away six months ago. It's absence is partly what has driven me to write this article. Even then, I'm not so sure the Cydia brand would attract major Mac developers.

So what do you think?
What other features should an Alternative Mac App Store have? What companies do you think are planning something like this or should be planning something like this?

Let's start asking for it.

Hopes for iOS5 and iCloud Checklist for WWDC

[UPDATE: See how the checklist held up here]

Apple's four year old mobile operating system is getting pretty long in the tooth and it's fairly complicated set-up requirements are resulting in few iPhone users taking advantage of some of its most useful features. This is my checklist of features or "Pillars" that iOS5 and its accompanying iCloud service need to be able to provide in order for this operating system to stay relevant.

Essential Changes/Additions to the Combined iOS5 / iCloud Platform

1. Single-Sign-On Auto-Configuration: Sounds complicated but its what makes Smartphones 'Smart'. Basically when a user signs into a iDevice with their Apple ID, their device is auto-configured for Mail / Contacts / Calendar / Find My iPhone GameCenter / Ping and iCloud backup services (With the option to un-check any of these services). When a user gets a new iPhone and turns it on (i.e. at an Apple Store) or is setting up a previsously formateed iPhone, instead of getting a symbol to connect to your computer you are simply asked for your Apple ID or to set one up if you don't have one. Hopefully if your Apple ID is a MobileMe account it will auto-configure MobileMe services or the replacement iCloud service (and possibly unlikely but hopefully if your ID is a gmail account it will auto-configure Google Sync). If the user does not use either of these as an Apple ID, alternative options for Exchange accounts should be provided. This Apple ID will then be associated with all your settings and iOS app save-states which I discuss further in the upcoming points.
2. Cloud-Synced Data: Hopefully iCloud will bring better support for syncing your data on your iPhone OTA. For example photos and Text messages are currently lost if you lose your phone and you haven't synced your iDevice back to your computer recently. This is unacceptable as this is really valuable data to the common user and few are educated about how to keep it safe. I would hope it would intelligently choose the best time to do these syncs, such as when it's charging and connected to WiFi as well as helping you get the right balance between caching and permanent storage.
3. Cloud-Synced App Save States: Just like how iBooks can sync the page you are up to between your iPhone and your iPad and just as how Steam Cloud allows you to pick up where you left off in a game you are playing on any computer that you are logged into. This ability needs to be available to all apps and all third party developers. Pause a video on my Apple TV, pick up where i left off on my iPad when I get into bed. Pause a position in a podcast or an audiobook on my mobile device and pick it up from where I left off on my computer without having to sync via usb.
4. Access My iTunes Purchased Content Anywhere: Any Apple device associated with my Apple ID should be able re-download or stream any content from iTunes I have purchased. Its not just apps I should be able to download, but music and movies as well. A purchase history list should also be added to the iStores on the iDevices much like the Mac App Store has. Being able to sync whole playlists would be even better. Build the playlist with a mouse and keyboard on your computer and have available to your iDevice whenever you want.
5. A Web-Based iTunes Store: Since I assume iCloud will replace much of the functionality of the iTunes desktop software, I think iTunes and the iTunes Store needs to move to the cloud as well. With all this cloud syncing going on, I would like to be able to log into the iTunes store on any web-browser and be able to peruse Books/ Movies/Music/Apps etc and have them made available immediately to my iDevices when I purchase something. It would also be neat if I was able to organise my playlists from the web as well.
6. Spotlight APIs for 3rd Party Developers: In-App purchases such as magazines, books and downloads such as podcasts and audiobooks from third-party apps need to be discoverable via iPhone's Spotlight search function.
7. Better Notifications: I haven't mentioned this first because it is so obvious that if Apple were not to do something about this than I would personally recommend anyone holding Apple stock to sell-sell-sell. Notifications need to slide in and out of view to alert the user of what is going on in background apps without interrupting what you are doing (Instead of now where they pause video and/or stop your video stream from working). A notification history also needs to be available so that if you unlock your phone you haven't lost to context of your alerts forever. The notification timeline needs to also be "glance-able information" when you turn on the screen.

Things I Would Hope Apple Implements:

• GameCenter and Ping Merged: They should be one service with additional abilities:
• GameCenter APIs For the Web: Let achievement tracking services like GiantBomb and Raptr have access to APIs that let you show off your GameCenter achievements as well as on other web services like Twitter and Facebook. This will provide much needed promotion of the service.
• Ping support for Apps / Movies / Books / Games: I want to see recommendations from my friends for not just music from the iTunes store but EVERYTHING it sells.
• Better iDisk Support or iCloud Replacement: Documents on Apple iOS apps like Pages etc need to be able to be synced between devices in a similar fashion to how DropBox currently works for many 3rd party apps. I'm assuming iCloud will provide this option.
• Display More Information on my Wallpaper: "Glance-able Information" like a To-Do List or App Notifications. It would be awesome if they added support for widgets but if not, at the very least, awesome apps like Stickies need the ability to export their notes as a wallpaper directly.
• Location Aware Behaviours: When my iPhone is connected to my local WiFi and is charging, the iPhone should be smart enough to choose that time to back-up my largest content produced on my iPhone to the cloud. I should also be able to set profiles for how I want a phone to behave in certain situations, like a lecture or a movie theatre. Dumb phones have had this feature for a decade now and I'm sure Apple could do it in a more intelligent way if they invested time into the feature.
• OTA Patches: Not Over The Air Updates, but OTA patches. I'd rather not have to download the whole ROM for the system whenever the iDevice needs to be updated.
• In-App Purchases Hosted By Apple: Shockingly, despite having to give 30% of revenue from In-App purchases to Apple, developers still have to host that content themselves. This often means a developer has less money to host those purchases on proper CDNs and the user experience becomes inconsistent between purchases.

Regarding A Filesystem on iOS

I also don't think there should be a file system on the iPhone like on the Mac. All documents should be kept in a universal pool with support for versioning of each document available via iCloud. Each app should have access to the document types it chooses to handle. Documents can be found by search and each app can keep it's own list of "Favourite" documents which it can cache locally.

How Do I Come To My Conclusions?

My wishlist is driven purely by observing strangers who are new to iDevices attempt to set them up, and conversations with long time users of iPhones who have never explored further into the iPhone than the SMS app.

I also notice that people seem to lose there phones A LOT. So I wonder what information is commonly lost when the average iPhone user loses their phone and how can we prevent that by combining the strength of a single-log-on setup and Cloud support in the background.

The Malthouse Dilemma

The press seems to be keen to get on the back of Collingwood and the coaching transition deal between Malthouse and Buckley but although I think its unlikely the deal will go smoothly, I think its a good idea in theory.

The idea at first seemed to be that Malthouse was coming up on his 10th year at the club, the same amount of time he had spent at West Coast. During his time at West Coast he had won two premierships but eventually got to the point where it seemed he had done all he could do. During his decade at Collingwood he had made the Grand Final twice but had not tasted ultimate success. I get the feeling that Eddie McGuire had sensed that Malthouse had made his run of it and it was time to look to the future and the answer was right there with their favourite son of recent times in Nathan Buckley. It was meant to be a win-win situation for all, with a chance for Malthouse to bow out gracefully while providing Buckley with a valuable apprenticeship. To Eddie it probably seemed like the perfect plan, and even though I am not a fan of his, I admired the idea even back then.

The spanner in the works came when Malthouse of course finally took the Magpies to premiership glory, one season before the transition was to happen and Buckley seemed to have faded out of the spotlight. This still seemed to me to be a great way for Mick to finish out his time at Collingwood and everything seemed to be going smoothly. Now, almost half way through the defence of their premiership they are sitting second on the ladder and look like they have a good chance of going back-to-back. Of course, everyone is now looking to Eddie, posing this hypothetical scenario and asking why you would get rid of a back-to-back premiership coach. Even their captain is certain Malthouse will stay on.

Now, this scenario may very well unfold, but I am still backing McGuire's original plan. Why would a club want to keep a champion coach on without a transition plan and risk him losing interest much like their biggest opposition for the 2011 cup. Why would Malthouse not want to go out on top either? Even if he wants to keep on coaching, I think there are plenty of other teams who would be interested to offer a fresh start.

I don't think Malthouse is the one losing out in this plan. The only person I can see not liking this plan is Nathan Buckley. He's the man who will inherit a team that will be on the verge of the inevitable re-building phase that is essential to a modern successful AFL team. If Collingwood start losing while they re-build, the fans won't see it so clearly and will be vying for his blood. Will Buckley be able to see out the re-building phase? Will he even stick around to see the transition plan even go ahead?

We shall see... but one thing is for sure, my interest in Collingwood will almost drop to zero once Malthouse departs the top job. I'd love Malthouse to go back-to-back, he's a great man and a hero of my youth.

The 'Gang of Four' and Should Microsoft Be In It?

It's an interesting couple of weeks for the tech world.  D9 this week, E3 and WWDC next week.  Things got kicked off with D9 and Eric Schmidt of Google discussing what he calls the "Gang of Four", a group of four companies, Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google who are collectively worth about half a trillion US dollars and are leading the consumer technology revolution.  However, one company was notably left out of the group.

"Microsoft is not driving the consumer revolution in the minds of the consumers."

Schmidt was immediatly questioned as to why he left Microsoft out of that group, given the success of the Xbox platform only to reply that the Xbox doesn't count.

“it’s not a platform at the computational level."

I hate to be the one defending Microsoft here, but I beg to differ.  What consumer is worrying about the "computational level"?  Consumers want to consume, and they are consuming content on the Xbox 360 at exceptionally high levels.  With consumers discovering that the Wii is just a gimmick and with Sony seriously dropping the ball recently (to the point where now even my parents will never again put a credit card near them again), Microsoft has pretty much won the war of the living room, even if it was with the help of external services like Netflix.  Perhaps Eric Schmidt should be checking the sales figures of Google TV and comparing it to the sales figures of the Xbox 360, a product which is now over 5 years old, and get a feel for what might actually be in the minds of consumers.

John Gruber is also quick to dismiss Microsoft, saying they don't have a consumer hit on their hands like that of the iPad, when in fact, Mircosoft has one that is growing faster.

Now, it of course remains to be seen whether or not Kinect will become another Wii-like gimmick or whether or not Chrome OS will eat into the dominance of Microsoft's core Windows/Office business.   It does however seem sensible for us to wait at least until the end of E3 before dismissing Microsoft's future.

Let's also not forget that the places of the other members of the gang are anything but locked in.  Facebook, who are probably the most deserving member (and part owned by Microsoft), now has the ear of over half a billion people yet seems to have little imagination as to what to actually do with so much power.  Amazon, although highly influential in the US, has a fairly limited presence outside of the US where Apple now sees over 50% of its revenue being generated from.  Microsoft on the other hand is investing a lot more in international markets, adding support for IPTV via Foxtel in Australia and Sky in the UK as well as it's own Zune service.

Apple itself has a lot to prove at it's own developers conference next week with the release of iOS5 and its new cloud service.  So far it has shown reluctance to invest any of its huge cash reserves on building it's software teams which are being spread increasingly thin as the company expands it's two major platforms.  As a result of this lack of investment, many simple features remain missing from the iPhone almost four years after release in areas where Apple refuses to let third party developers compete.   Even the iPad is missing basic features that would require little extra investment.  If Apple really wants to keep it's profitable niche in the market, it can't sit on it's laurels.

So, if this was like fantasy football, who would you like in your 'Gang of Four'?

Baz and Gatz

So, I was watching a version of Northanger Abbey the other night.  I actually quite enjoyed it, I rarely enjoy Austen adaptations if I have already read the book first. I guess in this case there has been enough distance between reading the book and seeing this adaptation.  Anyway, the reason it got me to write this is because it featured Carey Mulligan as Isabella Thorpe.  Carey Mulligan is attractive and did well in the role, however, this film confirmed to me that as attractive as Mulligan is, she is no Daisy.

Yes, it seems that Baz Luhrmann has cast Ms Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan in his film adaptation of The Great Gatsby.  Luhrmann is one of my favourite filmmakers and as a fellow Australian, a bit of a hero.  A lot of people have some beef with him and there are a lot of homo-phobes who are scared to like him but all of them share one thing in common, deep down they know he is one of the truly unique filmmakers going around.

I only find that he has one significant flaw, and that is his casting.  I have liked Nicole Kidman's work at times, but I often found the chemistry between her, Ewan McGregor and Hugh Jackman in their respective Luhrmann collaborations hard to believe.   However, those films are so steeped in "old-timey" dramatics that intimate chemistry between the lead characters is almost irrelevant.  It seems strange to me then that he would cast the diminutive Mulligan in such an iconic role.

The role of Daisy Buchanan is more than just a character, she is an image in the mind of Gatsby that represents perfection, the ultimate aspiration, a reason for being.  Why then would you cast a woman, that while being the new "It" actress on the scene, has gained that attention for having the perfect "girl-next-door" qualities.  Daisy is by no means "the girl next door".  She is the exact opposite.  I am concerned they have cast her purely based on hype.

Hype has won over sense yet again.  Yet, when you ask most people about how hype is affecting production of Luhrmann's next film, I bet you most people will complain that it is being filmed in 3D.  Why make a period film in 3D? They will ask.

I think quite the opposite, if there is one filmmaker who should rightfully be shooting in 3D, it is Luhrmann.  Have you seen Moulin Rouge or Strictly Ballroom on the big screen?  They are amazing, It almost felt 3D just from his dramatic use of the camera, costume, art design and choreography.  Imagine how he could capture Gatsby's wild 1920s parties shooting in real 3D?  It could very well be a wild ride and he will put you in the driving seat.

So no, hype has driven the casting of Mulligan, not the choice of 3D.  Let's just hope that Carey Mulligan can live up to the hype and has the acting chops to make us believe that she is the image of unobtainable womanly perfection.

P.S.  The other annoying thing, which is almost laughable, is the number of mainstream media outlets claiming that this is a "re-make" of 1974's "The Great Gatsby" directed by Jack Clayton.  Umm... no, The Great Gatsby is a novel, how someone claiming to be a journalist would not know this is beyond me.  It has been adapted for the screen 4 times before, twice before the 1974 version.  Francis Ford Coppola has had nothing to do with Luhrmann's version.

P. P. S.  Hayley Atwell is rumoured to have been cast as Jordan Baker. Coincidentally, Atwell plays Ms Crawford in the 2007 adaptation of Mansfield Park which I also watched as part of my Austen binge.  Surprisingly, I think Atwell could well be perfect as Ms Baker.  Ms Crawford and Ms Baker are quite similar characters when you think about it, and Atwell played Mary Crawford well. If you want a preview of what Ms Atwell will look like in 1920s garb, you can get a preview by checking her out in the 2008 adaptation of Brideshead Revisited playing Julia.

iPad 2 Buyer's Guide: Sight Unseen

With the imminent release of the iPad 2, Steve Job's reality distortion field seems to be having more affect on the tech press than usual. I'm here to show you the forest and help you make your iPad buying decision and I haven't even touched the iPad 2! This normally would be a bad thing, but given the hype around the iPad, I think it gives me a more down-to-earth perspective.

Since this is my first main post to my new blog, I should give you some context to this post. I just recently had my 15th Anniversary of being an Apple fan. My first Apple product was not an iPod. While I am their biggest fan, I am also their biggest legitimate critic. You'll have to keep reading this blog to see why. I use my Apple gadgets in very geeky ways, but I also introduce them to friends and family who regularly need advice on what path to take to improve their digital world.

I shall format this buying guide as an FAQ.

All The Questions You Really Want Answered

I don't have an iPad, should I buy one?

• Do you want a tablet computer? Remember, although you can create on the device, the primary value of the iPad at the moment is as a consumption device. Whether it be surfing, reading, watching, gaming or sharing photos.
• The best value of the iPad is as a secondary device, unless you are retired and you just need something to stay in touch with family via email and skype, it can only really replace your laptop if you already have a desktop at home and/or work.
• If you do want a tablet, than yes, the iPad 2 is the only one worth buying.

Why aren't the other options worth buying?

• At the moment there are only two other legitimate options. The Motorola Xoom and the iPad 1. The Motorola Xoom is more expspensive than an iPad, has less apps that support it and will likely not be supported beyond the end of this financial year once a rash of newer Android tablets appear on the market. Motorola do have a better record of supporting their old products than other Android manufacturers and they have already promised to upgrade the built in 3g modem of the Xoom with a 4g modem when they are available but after that, I predict support for future android updates will plummet before the year is out.
• Android tablets need at least another year of maturing before spending a lot of money on them. The HP Touchpad looks super cool, but it's not out yet and developers may not support it, you wouldn't want to gamble $600 plus on it unless you were super curious.
• The iPad is not a gamble, it's now a mature platform, but...

What about the iPad 1? Or if I already have an iPad 1, should I upgrade?

• No. The iPad 1 is a great tablet and although it is now really cheap, you're better off spending the extra $100 and future-proofing yourself by getting the duel core iPad 2.
• If you already have an iPad 1, there is no need to upgrade. Post-PC devices are all about the software, the hardware should disappear. Apple is keeping the iPad 1 well supported and I just upgraded my iPad 1 to iOS 4.3, the exact same software to what the iPad 2 is running, so apart from the built in cameras, the iPad 1 pretty much gets all the new features as the iPad 2.

Yeah, but what about the dual core chip in the iPad 2... is it worth upgrading for that?

• After reading some of the early reviews of the iPad 2 it is clear that the dual core chip helps make things snappier however the iPad 1 is no slouch.
• iOS 4.3 doesn't seem to have added any specific features to support the dual core chip. Multi-tasking doesn't seem to have been upgraded to take advantage of the extra core and due to iOS's extremely poor implementation of notifications, your iPad will still completely lock up and stop what it's doing whenever you get a push notification.
• When iOS5 comes out, it is possible that it will be designed around a dual core chip and have much better multi-tasking support. Wait and see.
• The graphics support is a lot better as well, but iPad developers will be writing for the lowest common denominator, and that is the iPad 1. All 15 million of them already in the wild.
• So, if you don't have an iPad yet, get the iPad 2 to future-proof yourself but until iOS proves it is capable of taking proper advantage of a dual core chip, keep your iPad 1 if you already have one.

I'm an App/Tech reviewer, won't the HDMI-out help me do demos?

• No! iOS is all about how we interact with software via touch. The HDMI-out does not help you get footage of the user using touch to interact. Please continue capturing footage with a camera as normal.

What about those cameras though?

• This is where so many media outlets have got it oh so wrong! The two cameras added to the iPad 2 are there to be video cameras. NOT STILL CAMERAS. Even then, they're designed to display video, not record video. Yes, there is software included to take still photos but trust me (and Apple knows this), if you walk around trying to take photos or record video with your iPad, you are going to look like a total tool. This is not what tablets are for. Instead, please use a regular camera or use the camera on your iPhone (or crappy other phone) which you take with you everywhere, then import it!

So what are the cameras there for then?

1. Video conferencing. Facetime or Skype.
2. AR: Alternative Reality. Games or regular apps. Don't know what I'm talking about? If you have an iPhone, check out Plane Finder AR, Falcon Gunner or Word Lens.

Is the iPad good for video conferencing?

• Not really. Do you really want to hold up a 10" tablet in front of your face while you chat? Or let it balance on your lap so that they can see up your nose?
• I personally would rather hold up my phone to video chat, even then, I'd rather use my computer or laptop because the camera is already mounted perfectly in front of your face. Hands free!
• At the moment, nobody uses Facetime. Millions of people use Skype but it is not currently a native iPad app so the experience is poor. They will likely update it soon though, now that the iPad has cameras.

Are there any new hardware features in the iPad 2 worth having?

• Yes, there is one new feature that will be the most useful. The biggest limitation of the iPad 1 was not the lack of a dual core processor, but the lack of RAM. Having to reload web pages and videos having problems caching (likely a software flaw in all iOS devices but the extra memory in the iPhone 4 improved things) was a real big bottle neck when using the iPad 1. The RAM in the iPad 2 is at least doubled to match the iPhone 4 so surfing and watching videos on the net will be a lot better.
• However, I have heard reports that memory management in iOS 4.3 is a lot better and using multiple tabs in Safari on the iPad 1 is greatly improved. I shall test this myself.

But the iPad doesn't have Flash... won't other tablets support this one day?

• This is one of the iPad's best features.
• Flash slows down your device, makes it more prone to crashes and security exploits as well as draining your battery faster.
• Flash is not the internet, it is a plug-in. A plug-in that is controlled by one company and they decide which devices they will write it for and when they will release it. Famously the Motorola Xoom can't even display it's own website while it waits for the flash plug-in. It seems the whole non-Apple world is being held back waiting for Adobe to update or write Flash support for their devices when they should be spending their time investing in the open standards the internet is built on. Every device that does not support flash is helping to save the internet and make it a better place for everyone.

Should I get a Smart cover?

• No, they are not a case.
• Yes, they snap on awesomely but ask yourself this... If you dropped your iPad, would these covers protect it? No!
• The reason the iPad uses a glass screen is because its highly scratch resistant. Otherwise they would use a plastic screen to make the iPad a lot lighter. I don't recommend trying to scratch it, but the main weakness of iPad durability does not come from scratching the screen. It's when you drop your iPad on its exposed edges, even from a small height, and the glass shatters. These covers do not protect or absorb impacts on the edges, therefore they are useless. Get a case that protects primarily the edges, secondarily reduces scratches on the screen.
• So what is the point of using them at all? The only benefits I can see is the instant-on feature, so you just open the cover and the iPad screen switches on without needing to do an unlock swipe. You can also fold the cover into a stand but most third party cases will include both of these features sooner than you think.
• Most reviews comment about how its difficult to fold the cover away to hold the ipad in one hand, depending on how you hold it. I could be going crazy but even though the products are getting sleeker, in the real world, Apple seems to be getting worse at design. Don't believe the hype! Perhaps it's the lack of good competition in the premium market?

Should I get a Wi-fi or 3G/GPS model?

• It all depends on your use case...
• If you need GPS in your iPad, then it's a no brainer, get the 3G model.
• If you don't have Wi-Fi at home and you have no interest in getting it, then yes, 3G should be something to consider but...
• If your carrier does not support having two separate devices on one data account, it's better saving the money and getting the Wi-Fi model. Use your data-connection on your smart phone and share it over wifi to the iPad via the personal hotspot feature. This may cost money to activate elsewhere but in Australia it is free for most plans so far. Why do you want to have two different data plans for two devices? Remember, you always have your phone with you.
• For me, the iPad is used mainly at home or (if I had a real job) at work. I almost exclusively leave mine on the coffee table during the day and by my bed at night, both locations have Wi-Fi. I use mine while on the couch watching media, even controlling my HTPC or showing friends stuff when they come over. At night I read, or stream media from my Media Server. In the morning I read the news and check twitter. When I leave the house, I just take my spartphone. I imagine hardly anyone would ever take their iPad with them when they leave their house unless they use it for work. When I do, I use the personal hotspot.
• Even when you travel, you can't use 3G on planes and data roaming is stupidly exspensive. You're always going to be using Wi-Fi.

16gb or 64gb?

• I recommend the 16gb. I don't see why you would want to store more than 16gb on your iPad. 16gb is enough to store more than 10 hours of video for a plane ride (Your battery will run out before you run out of video).
• The world is moving to the cloud, especially video, which takes up the most room on your iPad. Stream everything! Watch Netflix, ABC iView or use Air Video to watch videos from your Media Server /Desktop /Laptop over Wi-Fi or 3G.
• Even if you aren't nerdy enough to have a Media Server or run Air Video. Check out some of the new iTunes features. iOS4.3 now supports Home Sharing streaming. Just open iTunes and connect to your iTunes library from your iPad and watch your content from anywhere in your house!

I primarily want to read e-books, is the iPad good for that?

• I would personally recommend getting a dedicated e-reader like a Kindle. Even if you don't mind reading off an illuminated screen, the iPad does so much more than an e-reader that it is very easy to get so distracted by everything else you can do on it, that you never actually read any books.

So that's about it. Hopefully that helps you make up your mind. If there are any other questions you would like to ask, leave them in the comments.