Peanuts to Profits With Thor Schrock
Peanuts to Profits With Thor Schrock

There has been a lot of chatter all over the web regarding Apple’s expected announcement of the iSlate tablet device on or around January 26, 2010.

There are a lot of people with a lot of ideas about what the iSlate tablet is, what product niche it is designed to fill in Apple’s product line, what its features will be, and how much it will cost. While no one knows the specifics yet, I believe a lot of the rumors are slightly off-base.

Everyone is wrapped up in what Apple has ordered from suppliers, what the iPhone can do, Apple’s supposed need to compete with netbooks, and pure desire for something new from Steve Jobs.

Many of the people turning the crank on the rumor machine are fogetting some of the known Apple quantities:

1. Steve Jobs doesn’t chase market niches – he redefines them
2. Steve jobs has publicly stated that netbooks are substandard hardware
3. Apple risks cheapening its brand by selling a sub-$1000 computing device
4. This is a lifestyle device – people will not buy it because the need it. People will need it because they want it

Rather than getting all caught up in the expected specifications, whether or not it has an OLED screen, or attempting to decode vague requests to iPhone application developers for more high-resolution apps, I am going to make three general Thorstradamus predictions:

1. There is a distinct possibility that the late January announcement is about an improvement in the iPhone. I peg this at a 60% chance. Apple is about the software & apps, and they’re just not there yet.
2. If the announcement is about an Apple tablet, it will cost more than $1200. It may be re-released later at a lower cost as Apple did with the iPhone
3. I do not think Apple will launch a device designed to compete with $400 netbooks EVER

What do you think? Post a comment below to go on the record. Let’s see who is right on this one!

Remember the gold old days when you could get a free computer as long as you agreed to pay a monthly dial-up provider like AOL $30 a month for slow, overpriced Internet access?

Well grab your credit cards and put on your bifocals! The deal has returned courtesy of Best Buy and Sprint, but this time the screen is a bit smaller.

ZDNet is reporting that the two companies are partnering to offer a Compaq-branded HP Mini 110c netbook for only 99 cents when you sign a two-year 3G Internet contract.

These free computer offers are REALLY tempting because consumers in a recession-battered economy get what they want right now – a new computer – by signing a promise to give more money later.

Breaking Down the Numbers

Under this deal, you get the $389 retail value netbook for only $.99. The contract costs about $60 a month, so if you multiply that by 24 months, you would find that the contract will cost you $1,441 over its two year term.

Obviously the Sprint 3G connection is portable, so you are paying a price premium on your Internet connection to be able to take it with you anywhere you go. Additionally, there are limits to how much Internet connectivity you can use before additional charges get lumped in.

For the sake of comparison, the cost for you to buy this netbook and use it on a budget cable modem or DSL connection would be much, much less expensive.

Try $20 a month for the DSL Internet connection and $389 for the netbook. The total cost over 2 years is only $869 – a savings of $572 over two years (nearly $24 a month).

You read that right! Schrock Innovations is teaming up with 104.1 The Blaze in Lincoln, NE to give away one FREE netbook computer EVERY DAY for a whole month!

How to Win One of the Schrock Netbooks:

All you have to do to win is listen to 104.1 the Blaze on the air or on the Internet and wait for the cue to call in. When you hear the sounder, be caller #10 at 402-464-1041. They will air the sounder once each day.

Improve Your Odds of Winning:

If you are trying to win by listening online I have a couple pointers for you. The online feed is delayed by upto 45 seconds. Since you have to be caller #10 to win the computer a time delay will make that challenging for online listeners.

You can improve your odds (and get more sleep) if you follow the Blaze on Twitter. They will tweet specific details about when the sounder will be going off so you can be one of the first people to call in. Knowing WHEN the souder will happen dramatically improves your odds of winning!

What Are You Trying to Win:

You are trying to win an Asus netbook from Schrock Innovations. The netbook has a retail price of $349. Because the promotion is called PCs and Pudding, the radio station will throw in a box of instant pudding as well. If you don’t know how to use a netbook, the instant pudding is a nice addition to any office.

I have no inside information about when the sounders are going to air, and I can’t do anything more than what I already have to improve your odds of winning, so enjoy the great music and have fun trying to win!

Netbooks are the latest arrival on the computing scene and are rapidly gaining popularity and acceptance among serious computer users. In fact, there are reports that even Apple who one said netbooks were “junky” is bowing to the pressure to enter the netbook game.

What is a Netbook?

Basically, netbooks are miniature laptop computers. They have screens that range from 7.5 to 10 inches, small keyboards, wireless capability, and often don’t come with CD drives.

Netbooks are designed to be small, light and run a LONG time on a small battery. For example, Schrock Innovations carries the Asus netbook line in our Computer Service Center. These netbooks weigh in at less than 2 pounds, last 5-6 hours on a single battery charge, and have enough power to run Windows XP or Windows 7 comfortably.