BU Now » iPad

Dell to roll out iPad rival

Dick Taffe — Tue, 25 May 2010 18:25:30 +0000

With Apple having sold its one millionth iPad last month, Dell says it will roll out its 5-inch-screen rival tablet — The Streak — next month in England in in the U.S. later in the summer. It will run on Google‘s open-source Android operating system. School of Management Professor N. Venkat Venkatraman, chairman of the Information Systems Department, asks what Dell can do to differentiate and win, beyond a lower price point which depends on scale.

“More interesting question is, how will these Android-powered tablets perform against Apple iPad? That is the real battleground.”

Contact N. Venkat Venkatraman, 617-353-7117, venkat@bu.edu

iPad rival from Verizon/Google

Dick Taffe — Wed, 12 May 2010 16:53:06 +0000

Verizon and Google are teaming to develop a tablet computer in their combined effort to catch up with Apple‘s iPad and host AT&T. School of Management Professor N. Venkat Venkatraman, head of the Information Systems Department, is researching competition in business network and says this is a new form of competition — not between firms but between pairs or clusters of firms.

“The real question is whether it will be a Google-branded tablet like NexusOne or Android-OS running on multiple variations of touchscreen tablets manufactured by many different hardware vendors.”

Contact N. Venkat Venkatraman, 617-353-7117, venkat@bu.edu

Amazon e-book sales boost by iPad?

Dick Taffe — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 17:20:25 +0000

Apple is looking for a chunk of the growing e-books market as it rolls out the iPod, and some publishers like Penguin are cutting deals to dump sales via Amazon. But the iPad doesn’t have Apple’s iBook software preinstalled, so readers can just as easily choose Amazon’s Kindle app. School of Management Prof. N. Venkat Venkatraman, chair of the Information Systems Department, says Amazon can benefit from iPad sales.

“[Amazon] has always maintained that e-books and devices are separate businesses with no cross-subsidization. If that is truly the case, Amazon’s e-book business should see iPad as a boon to enlarge their set of potential consumers. The real area of friction will be when the same books are sold at differential prices on the two stores.”

Contact N. Venkat Venkatraman, 617-353-7117, venkat@bu.edu

iPad ergonomics may be harmful

Dick Taffe — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 17:00:18 +0000

Apple’s ballyhooed new iPad (and other e-readers like Kindle and Nook) can eventually lighten the load of student backpacks. That’s good. But Sargent College Professor Karen Jacobs, who researches how such gagets challenge human capabilities, fears the touch-screen iPad may lead to some unintended harmful ergonomic problems.

“In the case of the iPad, which has a completely touch surface, students will be using many different hand/wrist positions that place them in awkward postures. Students are already reporting discomfort with small 2×3-inch touch pads, so we can imagine what an entire touch screen will cause in discomfort.”

Contact Karen Jacobs, 617-353-7516, kjacobs@bu.edu

Apple’s iPad

Kira Jastive — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 21:13:02 +0000

Apple finally debuted today its much anticipated iPad tablet computer. Boston University College of Communication Professor Hyun Lee weighs in:

“There has been so much chatter about the iPad and finally it is here. Jobs delivered what was really expected — a clean form factor, visibly consistent with the rest of the ‘i’ devices. This is critical in maintaining the loyal fan base and stockholders.”

Contact: Hyun Lee, 617-353-5974, hyun@bu.edu