Between Two Lives

A few questions about iMaverick "app"

The chaps from the popular online publication The Daily Maverick earlier today announced that they would be launching an iPad "app"/deal in the next 2 months, called iMaverick. The new publication is essentially a newspaper on your iPad, with latest news and content. I think this is a fantastic idea, but have a few questions & concerns.

Given that the iPad2 has (far) exceeded expectations in South Africa at it's launch, with units sold out everywhere, and very uncommon for South Africa, lines forming outside stores at launch, it makes sense to go with this platform. BUT, cutting out a huge chunk of the mobile market. Yes, the iPad is designed to be a newspaper/magazine tablet, but I can't help thinking about the route they have chosen.

Firstly the deal for iMaverick is can chose to pay a R395 a month option which will allow you access to the publication & a brand spanking new iPad2 16GB WiFi, which you can usually pick up for R4399. There is also an option for a 32GB 3G iPad2 at R499 a month, which usually retails at R6599. These packages are over a 24 month contract period

So, what this means in figures:

Option 1 (16 GB WiFi) -

R395 pm * 24 months = R9480 total cost
Minus the cost of the iPad of R4399 = R5081
Subscription to iMaverick

Assuming publication is Mon - Fri @ avg 22 days in a month = R5081 / 24 months / 22 Days = R9.62 an edition
Assuming publication in Mon - Sat & weekend edition @ 26 days in a month = R5081 / 24 months / 26 days = R8.14 an edition

This works out to R211 a month

Option 2 (32 GB WiFi)

R499 pm * 24 months = R11976
Minus the cost of the iPad of R6599 = R5377
Subscription to iMaverick

Assuming publication is Mon - Fri @ avg 22 days in a month = R5377 / 24 months / 22 Days = R9.62 an edition
Assuming publication in Mon - Sat & weekend edition @ 26 days in a month = R5377 / 24 months / 26 days = R8.61an edition

This works out to R224 a month

All in all, honestly, not bad at all. You looking at pretty much the same price as a newspaper on the street, but you don't need to get out of bed for it ;)

I do have a question though, which at this stage seems to be unanswered. Is the iMaverick "app" going to be a native iPad app or is it going to be a web (HTML5) app. My reason for asking this is because when reading the FAQ's this morning, they stated that "...iMaverick will be available to read on Apple, Android & Blackberry operating systems", which would make it an web (HTML5) app ?

But then why "sell" it with an iPad ? To me this sounds like "climbing on the bandwagon" given the success of the iPad2 in South Africa thus far. Granted (as I mentioned earlier) it is the perfect device for this, but why not rather launch it as the iMaverick newspaper, and then have a "buy-an-iPad-option". Just boggles my mind ?

That said, I see that have changed the wording of that FAQ, stating that different applications will be released in the future for the other platforms. So, who knows :P

Anyways, good luck to the Daily Maverick team. It is in innovative, and I hope South Africans pick up on the concept.

Looking forward to being able to read it on my iPad1 one day ;)

This mornings beautiful sunrise.

3 pics to tell a beautiful story

QR Code Infographic

Baby Monkey Going Backwards on a Pig

(download)

A Sinew Model Search ? Don't think they thought that domain name through !!

I don't think the marketing peeps at Sports Illustrated thought this domain name through when putting together a Model Search !!!
http://www.sinewmodelsearch.co.za/

Incredible Connection sells 70% of iPad stock & speculates about iPad2

I received the below press release from Incredible Connection earlier today. What I don't understand is the statement towards the bottom of the PR, that says "Version 2, due out in America at the end of February, will have both flash and cameras. A lot of South Africans are not going to wait for Version 2, however. What matters is that they can get their hands on an iPad of whatever sort right now!”
The iPad 2 has not even been announced yet ?!?. Everything we know about the iPad2 is pure speculation & rumours at this stage. I really don't understand how people & companies can make assumptions that it will have a camera or when it will be released ?

*sigh*

PRESS RELEASE – Incredible Connection

For Immediate Release
1 February 2011

70% of Apple iPad stock at Incredible Connection stores sells out in three days

Following the South African launch at midnight on Thursday 27th January 2011 of the Apple iPad, 70% of the stock of the iconic tablet device available at Incredible Connection stores country-wide has been sold out in three days.

The most popular (comprising 85% of sales) of the six versions of the device on sale were the upper end 3G models, ranging up to R7 599.95.
The iPad has been made available in South Africa some seven months after the official American launch – and Apple International has stipulated strict distribution and pricing conditions.

“Demand for the iPad globally has been so huge that production simply hasn’t been able to keep up, causing delays in release of the iPad in South Africa as well as limiting the amount of stock made available now,” says Incredible Connection CEO, Dave Miller. “Also, there are very few factories around the world that can make the high quality touch screens that are the defining component of tablet devices. So, globally, demand for the iPad is far outstripping supply.

“At the same time, Apple is protecting its brand by ensuring that pricing, distribution, and in-store presentation requirements of authorised resellers like us are adhered to very precisely. Apple and the authorised local distributor, Core, have made it categorically clear that iPads that have not been purchased in South Africa through authorised resellers will not enjoy any level of support from Core or their authorised repair agents.

“Given all those conditions, we’ve made product available as broadly as possible, with sixteen of our stores in Gauteng, the Western Cape, and KwaZulu-Natal equipped with initial stock - with more stock expected within the week.”

Apple provided no advance publicity of iPad being launched in South Africa (in part, Miller believes, to avoid customer disappointment with limited stock), so there have been no queues at Incredible Connection stores so far. “We were expecting a rush, however, as soon as word got out that the iPad was here,” Miller says. “Right on cue, there was pandemonium at some of our stores during the weekend.”

There are six versions of the iPad in two different ranges. One range offers a 16GB, 32 GB, or 64GB device, each equipped with Wi-Fi. Prices vary from R4 399.95 to R6 399.95. The other range also offers a 16GB, 32 GB, or 64 GB device, with both Wi-Fi and 3G. The prices go from R5 599.95 to R7 599.95.

“These devices really are extraordinary in terms of the mobility and convenience they offer,” Miller says. “They outdo laptops and netbooks in terms of battery life (up to 10 hours), their exceptional portability in terms of their light, thin form factor, and the variety of apps that have been designed specifically for them.

“Customers need to be aware, however, that the current iPad has no camera, front or back. So it can’t be used for Skype or video conferencing, unless a peripheral camera is attached. iPad Version 1 also doesn’t have flash built in.

“Version 2, due out in America at the end of February, will have both flash and cameras. A lot of South Africans are not going to wait for Version 2, however. What matters is that they can get their hands on an iPad of whatever sort right now!”

Apple does not permit iPads to be bundled with any type of long term service or connectivity contract such as those with which cellular phones are often packaged by stores like Incredible Connection. Buyers may, however, use their existing connectivity contracts, pre-paid facilities, or separate data bundles, to connect their iPads to the Internet.

Is BBM really FREE ? A quick calculation

Disclaimer: I have absolutely nothing against Blackberrys. In fact, I think it is awesome that more people are getting connected to the web, and using smartphones to do so. It shows how technology is changing, which in my eyes is a VERY good thing :) The below calculation was done out of my own interest, and is not intended to run Blackberry users down ;)

The growing trend in South Africa that seems to be that everyone is getting a Blackberry. The reason most people tell me they getting a Blackberry is because they can use BBM and send FREE messages. I suppose at the end of the day, it's a marketing ploy by RIM & the cellular providers, when in fact they are paying for these FREE BBM messages.

So I put together a very rough calculation of how many BBM messages you need to send to ensure you spend your R60 monthly BIS fee before BBM really does become free. The calculations below do NOT take email or web browsing, which is all sent through RIM's servers, into account.

Vodacom Top-Up/Once off data 110MB bundle is R88. This works out to R0.80 a MB.
Using this rate this means for R60, the monthly Blackberry fee you pay, you get around 75MB of data.

If you only use BBM (ie. No email or web).
Each BBM character is 1 byte.
For this example Let's call the average length of a BBM 160 char. SMS length

1KB = 1024 Bytes (6,4 messages)
1MB = 1024 KB's = 1,048,576 characters (6553,6 Messages)
75MB = 78,643,200 characters (491 520 messages)

Excluding web & email, you will need to send 78,643,200 characters (or 491,520 160 character messages) to make your monthly R60 viable for just BBM !

Sounds pretty excessive if you ask me :)

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