Our youngest client

Our nephew (Joe's godson) Michael Joseph, 5 months

Update on Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 11:57PM by Ashleigh

4 1/2 month old Apple technician in training, Michael Joseph

New services: Extended Hours and High Availability

Regular Hours of operation are Weekdays from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Extended Hours: Evening or Weekend consultations can be scheduled, when available, for an additional 50% surcharge.

High Availability service is priced at $500 per year and includes

• Extended Hours at no extra charge (subject to availability)
• Guaranteed phone or email response to urgent inquiries within four hours (during Regular Hours)
• Remote or onsite consultation for urgent inquiries scheduled within 24 hours (during Regular Hours)

Examples of urgent inquiries include hard drive failure, potential data loss, failure to start up, network failure, or other issues impacting business operations.

Apple's iPad success, and Microsoft's general failure

Nineteen months ago, Apple invented a new product category when they released the iPad.

They have completely dominated the new market, selling over 40 million iPads since spring of last year.

A story was posted recently on CNET about the tablet that Microsoft was working on when Apple released the iPad.  While Apple's designers and engineers toiled away in secret for years until the iPad was ready, Microsoft's own tablet team worked on a folding two-screen design called Courier. But Microsoft canceled their tablet project in April 2010, conceding the market to Apple's just-released iPad.

One paragraph in the CNET story about Microsoft's Courier had me laughing out loud.

Since Apple's iPad had not yet been released, Microsoft didn't have a reference design from which to blatantly copy derive inspiration. So, trying to do something original with their digital tablet, they sought advice from the makers of paper notebooks!

The Courier group wasn't interested in replicating Windows on a tablet. The team wanted to create a new approach to computing. The metaphor they used was "digital Moleskine," a nod to the leather-bound notebooks favored in the design world. In fact, according to a few team members, a small group [...] flew to Milan, Italy, to pick the brains of the designers at Moleskine to understand how they've been able to create such loyal customers.

"Moleskine was interested but a little perplexed," said one executive who worked on the Courier project.

I laughed at the thought of Microsoft's bungling designers showing up at Moleskine, the makers of fine paper notebooks, and asking with quiet candor, "what's your secret?"

The iPad comes with an unlimited number of blank, college ruled, or grid-lined pages – it's your choice, starting at $499.

Welcome Ashleigh, Office Manager

I'm pleased to announce that my fiancée, Ashleigh, is now the Office Manager of PsiMac.

Our working relationship is inspired by other couples whose livelihoods are integrated. As we grow into the next phase of PsiMac, we are empowered by those around us and by our joined strength and love.

iCloud rolls in

iCloud is now available to new members as well as existing MobileMe members who decide to upgrade.  iCloud is not a requirement for existing MobileMe members – you have until next summer to upgrade.

I recommend waiting a few weeks for the service to be brought online and tested under the load of millions of users.  There's no rush to upgrade unless you want to help Apple troubleshoot the new system.  The existing MobileMe service will continue to be operational for the next nine months.

iCloud requires all of your Macs to be upgraded to Lion, and iPhones and iPads to iOS 5.  These are major upgrades; care must be taken to ensure they go smoothly.

If you are excited to upgrade and wish to experience the new features of iCloud, Lion, and iOS 5 – and you don't mind the occasional hassles of being an early adopter – please get in touch with PsiMac to schedule a consultation to discuss the upgrades.