The tech news world is overflowing with iPad news this weekend. Everything from reviews to tear downs of the device can be found on the web. So, in an effort to further assuage my curiosity of the device, I decided to head over to Apple’s website and check out some of the iPad guided tours. While watching the Mail guided tour, I saw something that immediately raised a couple questions. Right around the two minute mark, Apple shows a list of “supported” email servers for use with iPad.

Supported Email Servers

The question? Does the iPad 3G support Push Notification and will it support push notification from OS X Server Snow Leopard? According to the video, all versions of the iPad will support Microsoft’s Exchange server. Moreover, the iPad runs a similar version of the iPhone OS (3.2). Currently, the latest available version of the OS for iPhone is 3.1. With that understanding, you could logically deduce that the iPad 3G will support Push Notification from the currently supported list of push notification servers for iPhone. So that answers the first question. As for whether or not it will support Push Notification from SLS? Again, based upon the understanding the iPad runs a slightly newer version of the iPhone OS…

Not likely.

-Tim

It’s April 3rd and for those of us who love gadgets and technology that means one thing.   Today, you can finally get your hands on the  Apple iPad.   I remember watching Steve Job’s presentation of the device and thinking to myself that it would be a great, “I need to send a quick email” or “Draft a quick blog post” device.   I’m well aware the Apple iPad is so much more capable than sending the average email or viewing websites.   Some view the iPad as just an oversized iPhone, but I think the key difference is that iPad will now give you the ability to read digital content such as books, magazines and newspapers comfortably.   I couldn’t imagine trying to do that on the iPhone.   Personally, I would need more screen real-estate if I was going to spend a lot of time reading.

I’m still not sure if I will purchase the iPad or not.   My wife sees the device as a potential replacement for her aging Macbook Pro and I believe she could get away with just having an iPad sans laptop.   She could use mine to dock the device for synchronization and backup.   As for me, I’m not sure I have a need for a device such as the iPad at present.   So, although I’m riding the fence so to speak, I’m sure some application or feature I’m unaware of will push me into one yard or the other.   Lastly, and obviously since I didn’t order one, I don’t have a review of the device so check out the one over at  Engadget.

-Tim

Mac OS X Snow Leopard

A few months back, I migrated my server from FreeBSD to Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server.   While I’m happy with my purchase from Apple, I also feel like I was mislead.   I’ve already written about SLS, but I feel like I need to revisit this issue again.   I have frequented the support discussions on Apple’s website and, like others, have only been able to speculate as to the reason everyone has had such a hard time getting the iPhone to play nicely with SLS.   The bottom line is SLS Push Notification will work with Mac OS X clients, but not with iPhone.   The information  I’ve just come across from Apple’s support article HT3947 verifies this lack of support:

Additional Information

Currently, iPhone Mail and Calendar apps do not support Push Notifications from Mac OS X Server v10.6.

I’m sure many others, just like myself, were excited when SLS was going to have Push Notification functionality.   I’d even wager that some purchased SLS in hopes they would be able to receive notifications from SLS in a similar manner to MobileMe.   I did state that I’m satisfied with SLS, but I’m left to wonder how Microsoft server software (Exchange) will work with iPhone and not Apple server software.   I can only assume, like others, that a software update for iPhone from Apple will finally allow Push Notification from Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server to iPhone for Mail and Calendar applications.   Hopefully, this update will come sooner rather than later.

-Tim

Pandorum

For some reason, I’m on a roll with my blog today.   I’m not sure why, but hey, I’m just gonna go with it!   So, I want to comment on Blue Ray Discs and the movie studios that offer digital copies (or lack thereof).   My wife and I usually rent or buy movies from iTunes via AppleTV from the comfort of our bed, but we recently have revisited the home theatre room in our home and the joys of Blue Ray Discs.   To make a long story short, we fell in love with the experience all over again.

We’ve purchase several BR Discs and love the sounds and resolution.   One of our recent Blue Ray purchases was Overure Film’s Pandorum.   Now, I’m not going to critique the movie but I was a bit frustrated when the digital copy Overture proudly advertises on the cover ISN’T ITUNES COMPATIBLE!

I’m sorry, but what kind of idiot manager/executive do you have to be to make the “We aren’t going to support iTunes” decision?   Especially since iTunes (and the iTunes Store) is everywhere, along with iPhone, and iPod, and iPod Touch, and AppleTV and now…

iPad!!!

You have to seriously be living under a technology proof rock to make a call like that.   Fail.   In parting, I’ll say that I won’t be purchasing or supporting anything from Overture Films until they support iTunes.   Then again, if they can’t release a movie I don’t fall asleep in the middle of, I may not have to worry about it!

-Tim

P.S.   Much love to TriStar.   It’s very nice to be able to watch District 9 from my AppleTV when I’m to lazy to walk upstairs!

A friend of mine who was looking to set up shop on his own section of the internet, asked me for help getting started. Over the past couple of evenings, we were able to get his site up and running, so without further ado…

http://www.heslermotorsports.com/

-Tim