Apple is all over the tech news right now for a dozen reasons. What are the burning questions and educated guesses at answers? Read on!
Will the iPad push Apple to being the top portable computer maker?
Depending on how you count a portable computational device, Apple could be poised to assume the top spot in selling portable computers in the next year or so. If you add up 40 million iPad shipments and 15 million MacBooks predicted in 2011, that beats HP's predicted 50 million laptops by a nice round 5 million.
In one year, iPad snags 1% of browser share around the whole world
No matter if you think the iPad's not equivalent to a laptop, it's an incredible success. And it's changed how the world uses computers: In just over a year of availability, the iPad has won 1% of total web browsing activity around the world, and 25% of U.S. mobile browsing.
iPad 2 about to get big boost?
iPad sales may be about to get a huge boost. (Or their PR already has.) Parts suppliers may have pushed past previous bottlenecks in production to make 5 million units in June and another in July. That suggests that Apple may be able to sell up to 15 million iPad 2s in the third quarter alone.
iPad 3 in September?
There've been several recurring rumors that Apple may break with its annual update schedule and release a new iPad edition earlier than we're expecting--possibly as soon as September. Different sources in Apple's extensive Eastern supply chain are saying that alongside fresh orders for the iPhone 5, plants are prepping to churn out new iPads ... the iPad 3? We know nothing about it, but could it be the rumored next-gen device with a bigger resolution screen or LTE? That's implausible, we think.
Super-fast memory for next MacBook Air
Despite seemingly lackluster internal components, the MacBook Air has always been impressive for its speedy performance. Now there're suggestions that alongside a refreshed CPU chipset from Intel, Apple may be turbo-boosting the expected new Airs with 400 megabytes per second DDR 2 memory, on smaller chips that would be soldered directly onto the motherboard. Since the current drives run at over 261 MBps, this would be an amazing improvement.
Apple bagged Nortel's LTE treasure trove
We know that Nortel's patent trove was worth a lot of money, but it's only now that the implications are coming into view--and among the news, Apple may have pulled off a huge coup and bagged all of Nortel's LTE-related patents for a sizable $2 billion. The computer firm can be expected to gain a massive return on investment for this sum, although we have no idea if it'll be extracting licensing fees from other players in the upcoming LTE revolution.
Samsung squished
Behold the downside of the iPad halo effect: Samsung, uneasy partner and anti-Apple litigant, has reported its balance sheet will be hurt by a downswing in demand for chips and display tech. The scuttlebutt is that it's because Apple may be changing suppliers in direct reaction to Samsung's various lawsuits.
Verizon price-drops the iPhone 4
Possibly to help move inventory, Verizon may be about to drop the price of the CDMA iPhone 4 to just $150, on contract. Since this edition has only been on sale for a handful of months, and the iPhone 5 (which is expected to be a world phone with both CDMA and GSM powers) is due relatively soon, Verizon's trying to get things moving early.
Could OS X Lion Arrive Tomorrow, July 6th?
So says one rumor, anyway.
[Image: Flickr user wfyurasko]
Chat about this news with Kit Eaton on Twitter and Fast Company too.