We Want to Hear From You!

This past weekend, Apple announced that the 10 billionth app had been downloaded from its App Store. As a way of expressing its thanks and marking the occasion, the company held a contest, giving away a $10,000 iTunes Gift Card to whomever downloaded the milestone app. Gail Davis of Orpington, Kent, UK, was the lucky recipient with the download of “*Paper Glider.*”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2Fus%2Fapp%2Fpaper-glider%2Fid384044746%3Fmt%3D8%2526uo%253D6%2526partnerId%253D30 The app, which was downloaded by one of Davis’ daughters at 9:30AM (4:30AM EST), marked the end of the contest and a momentous occasion for Apple’s revolutionary store. Speaking on the store’s success, Apple’s senior VP of Worldwide Product Marketing, Phil Schiller offered the following:

bq. “With more than 10 billion apps downloaded in just two and a half years–a staggering seven billion apps in the last year alone–the App Store has surpassed our wildest dreams, The App Store has revolutionized how software is created, distributed, discovered and sold. While others try to copy the App Store, it continues to offer developers and customers the most innovative experience on the planet.”

With over 160 million iOS device owners worldwide, it is likely the App Store will continue to flourish and grow exponentially as the base of device owners increases. Recently, Apple has attempted to emulate the mobile store’s success by opening a desktop equivalent Mac App Store. With a total of more than 410,000 iOS apps available and a growing number of apps available in the MAS, Apple is single-handedly instigating a major shift in the software industry.

*UPDATE:* In an exclusive “*CultofMac.com*”:http://www.cultofmac.com/10k-itunes-winner-hung-up-phone-on-apple-exclusive/78231 interview, Davis admitted to hanging up on iTunes VP Eddy Cue believing he was a prank caller. After her daughters assured her the call was real, Davis frantically tried redialing but to no avail. Worried she’d passed up on a once in a lifetime opportunity, Davis and her family were ecstatic when they received a call back several hours later.

MiLi makes great batteries and chargers for your iPod, iPhone or iPad. *For a limited time, we’re featuring everything in stock up to 50% off!*

For example, my favorite is the “MiLi Power Spring 4 Battery Case for iPhone 4.”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag20533/at_kb I’ve been known to run my battery down -playing BeJeweled- doing extremely productive things on my phone, so I can __allllways__ use more battery life. I like that this is a slim option that nearly doubles the life of the iPhone 4 battery.

“MiLi Power Spring 4 Battery Case for iPhone 4”:http://www.smalldog.com/wag20533/at_tt ($49.99; normally $79.99)

“See all MiLi products and specials here.”:http://www.smalldog.com/mili

Last Wednesday, we polled our readers on whether they were planning to get a Verizon iPhone 4. The poll received a total of 816 responses, and the results were quite surprising. Over a quarter of all voters, *26.1%*, replied that they plan to continue service with AT&T. Only *7.35%* of voters replied that they were planning to switch to Verizon, and slightly over a quarter, *25.86%* (existing VZW customers?), replied they were excited to purchase an iPhone after years of waiting.

Though plenty of voters seemed eager to either switch to Verizon or upgrade their existing phones to an iPhone, *25.61%* reported they plan to wait for whatever Apple releases next–presumably the iPhone 5. A meager *0.61%* of total voters replied they only plan to purchase an iPhone 4 if Apple finally releases the much fabled white version. Nearly *15%* of voters replied that they were not interested in an iPhone, or at least not at this time.

This week, Verizon released several “*details*”:http://blog.smalldog.com/article/verizon-to-offer-30-unlimited-data-plan-for-iphone/ regarding the forthcoming phone’s data plan and pricing structure. Maintaining an edge over competing AT&T plans in some areas–specifically data–these announcements would likely have changed the results of the survey had they been announced earlier. To view the complete synopsis of the poll, click “*here.*”:http://blog.smalldog.com/article/vote-are-you-getting-a-verizon-iphone-4/

Have your opinions on the Verizon iPhone 4 changed now that the carrier has announced plan features and rates? Comment “*here*”:http://blog.smalldog.com/article/verizon-iphone-4-poll-results/ and let us know!

Congratulations to the Packers and the Steelers for their victories. I had to tear up my “Bears to win” ticket from Las Vegas and now I can devote my time to following the Boston Celtics, at least until pitchers and catchers report next month!

It is hard to believe that we are already at the end of January. Grace was trying to cheer me up out of my winter blues and explained it to me: “we are almost through January, then we have a little dinky month of February, then we have a short vacation in March and soon you will be riding your motorcycle.” She is definitely a 1/2 full kinda gal but February is a brutal winter month and March, well, you can have anything in March: snow, rain, mud, flood.

Thank you for reading this issue of Kibbles & Bytes!

Your Kibbles & Bytes Team,
_Don, Kali, Ed, Ben_

The past Monday marked the 27th Birthday of the iconic beige box which ultimately gave way to the iMac I’m typing this post on.

On January 24th, 1984, Steve Jobs introduced the Macintosh to the world. The first machine to run Mac OS (then System 1.0), the Macintosh revolutionized the personal computer industry, and changed the face of industrial design in the computing market. Prior to the machine’s release, the concept of an all-in-one computer was largely unheard of. In the days leading up the the machine’s official unveiling, Apple aired its famous Orwellian inspired–Ridley Scott directed– “*advert*”:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYecfV3ubP8&feature=related during Super Bowl XVIII.

Though its specs may seem paltry by today’s standards, for its time, the Macintosh yielded the complete package for many users. Here’s a quick history lesson:

The Macintosh (later rebranded Macintosh 128k) debuted in January 1984 for the initial price of $2,495. Carrying the model number: M0001, it boasted the following specifications:

*Macintosh*

* Built-in Display: 9-inch
* Processor: 8 MHz Motorola 68000
* System Bus: 8 MHz
* Internal Storage: None
* Media: 400 KB 3.5″ Floppy
* Onboard RAM: 128 KB (Expandable to 4 MB)
* Graphics: None
* Peripherals: Apple Mouse and Keyboard

Today, accounting for inflation, $2,495 in 1984 dollars would buy you the following:

*iMac 27-inch*

* Processor: 2.93GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7
* Cache: 8 MB L3
* Internal Storage: 2TB Serial ATA Drive + 256GB Solid State Drive
* Media: 8x double-layer SuperDrive
* RAM: 16GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM
* Graphics: ATI Radeon HD 5750 1GB GDDR5 SDRAM
* Peripherals: Magic Mouse + Magic Trackpad

and you’d still have a little under $1,000 left over!

We’ve certainly come a long way in just 27 years. I raise a toast to the “Insanely Great” little machine which arguably started it all. Cheers, and Happy Birthday!

What are your memories of the Macintosh? Feel free to share them “*here.*”:http://blog.smalldog.com/article/the-macintosh-turns-27-today/