Laptop MacBook Air

Apple’s MacBook Air holds the title of the world’s thinnest notebook, but that would be meaningless without two very important features: a full-size keyboard and a brilliant 13.3-inch display. And the multitouch trackpad isn’t just surprisingly large, it also brings some of the iPhone’s mojo along for the ride by letting you use gestures. Investing in this $1,799 machine does involve significant trade-offs, but it’s a remarkable piece of engineering that offers the productivity performance users on the go need without weighing them down.

Breakthrough Design

When viewed from the side, the MacBook Air is barely there. This 3-pound system measures a remarkable 0.16 inches thin, which goes up to only 0.76 inches at its thickest point. When closed, the notebook is almost laughably svelte, and the rounded corners give it an elegant look and feel. A flip-down door on the right houses the headphone jack, a USB 2.0 port, and a Micro-DVI connector (adapters that output to full-size DVI and VGA connections are included). On the left you’ll find the MagSafe power jack.

The MacBook Air is so compact because its motherboard, storage, and cooling system fit on a single board the length of a pencil. Helping Apple’s cause is Intel’s Core 2 Duo processor, which has a 60-percent reduction in footprint compared to other Core 2 Duo processors, and was specially designed for this notebook. A similar small form factor will be used for a version of Intel’s upcoming Montevina platform, so in a sense MacBook Air owners are getting a taste of the future now.

Even with all this miniaturization going on, you still get a full-size, raised keyboard that delivered feedback on par with the regular MacBook. And the 13.3-inch display puts other ultraportables to shame; viewing angles were nothing short of spectacular when watching iTunes movie rentals. It’s also fine for giving presentations to small groups. And because the keyboard is backlit, you can easily type away on a dark airplane or during a dimly lit conference.

We were impressed by the versatility of the multitouch trackpad. Zooming in on photos and Web pages by spreading two fingers apart was easy. And using three fingers at once and swiping them across the trackpad allowed us to scroll through items in Finder, Web pages in Safari, and images in iPhoto. Want to rotate a picture? Just move two fingers in the direction you want the image to go. We’d like to see this technology evolve by Apple encouraging third-party developers to tap into its APIs. The bottom line is that you forget you’re using an ultraportable with the MacBook Air, which is quite an achievement.

Sizing Up the Trade-offs

No optical drive. No ExpressCard or memory card slots. No Ethernet. Just a single USB port. A non–user-replaceable battery. That’s a lot of sacrifices to the god of streamlined aesthetics. But let’s take these caveats one by one. If you want to watch movies, Apple will gladly remind you of its new iTunes movie rental service (a reasonable $3.99 for new releases, and $2.99 for older library titles). And if you want to load software without an optical drive, you could try the ingenious Remote Disc feature, which leverages the MacBook Air’s 802.11n connection to tap into the optical drive of nearby PCs and Macs (though you can’t access protected content such as DVD movies).

After installing the included Remote Disc utility on a Dell XPS M1330, we could easily access the Dell’s optical drive. As magical as this feature is, however, most users should just opt for the $99 external SuperDrive, which connects to the USB port. And that brings us to our biggest complaint. Not only does the MacBook Air have only one USB port, it doesn’t accommodate all peripherals. Our tiny Kingston USB drive and Fujifilm camera cable fit without a problem, but a Sprint mobile broadband modem was too wide and tall because of the surrounding flip-down panel. We had to find a more compact modem from Verizon Wireless, but even that became dislodged with the MacBook Air sitting on a desk. Picking up a mini USB hub is a must.

Our second biggest beef with the Air is that unlike every other notebook on the market, you can’t replace the battery yourself. You’ll have to bring your MacBook Air in to have it serviced for $129. That also means you can’t swap batteries on the fly for extra juice, nor can you purchase an extended battery. Bummer.

As for the MacBook Air’s storage capacity, 80GB does indeed pale in comparison to competing ultraportables’ hard drives, which range in size from 100 to 250GB--especially since Apple is pushing users to download their movies and store them on the hard drive instead of using optical discs. If you value speed and indestructibility over all else, you can splurge for the 64GB solid state drive, which costs a whopping $999. We like that the Time Machine backup feature works wirelessly with the new Apple Time Capsule network storage drives ($299 for 500GB, $499 for 1TB).

Can the Air Fly?

Performance on the MacBook Air was generally good. The system didn’t flinch during our multitasking tests, however. That’s because the processor is running at 1.6 GHz, compared to a mere 1.06-GHz for the Sony VAIO TZ150, and a 1.2-GHz CPU for the Toshiba Portege R500. And you get a full 2GB of RAM. You can’t upgrade the memory, but we found that it’s enough for a solid Mac OS X Leopard experience. The OS booted in a little more than 30 seconds, compared with well over a minute for some Vista-powered ultraportables.

In general, applications loaded quickly, and we had no problems importing clips from our flash-based camcorder to iMovie while music played in the background. The Spaces feature in Leopard, which allows you to assign applications to one of four corners of the display for easy access, worked smoothly. Surfing the Web was also satisfactory, both over a Wi-Fi connection and when we plugged in our USB mobile broadband modem.

As expected, the MacBook Air turned in lower performance scores than a MacBook (black) equipped with a 2-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and the same amount of RAM. In Xbench’s CPU test, the Air notched a score of 79.28, versus 114.85 for the MacBook (black). Overall we didn’t notice much of a difference in everyday productivity applications, but the read and write times on the Air’s 4,200-rpm hard drive were noticeably slower than those on the MacBook’s 5,400-rpm drive.

With our Verizon Wireless mobile broadband modem plugged in and connected, the MacBook Air lasted 2 hours and 40 minutes on a charge. During that time we primarily worked in Google Docs, while occasionally surfing to other sites for research. We got a little more than 3.5 hours of endurance with just Wi-Fi on, which is still well short of Apple’s claim of 5 hours of wireless productivity.

The lack of Ethernet will bother some, but the 802.11n connection is plenty fast--so long as you’re within close range of an access point. Wireless performance from the 802.11n connection was very good from 15 feet, clocking in at 21.7 Mbps, but that dropped off significantly to 5 to 7 Mbps at 50 feet. Apple backs the system with a one-year limited warranty. And, as always, we’re disappointed that you get only 90 days of free phone service on the system, compared to the standard one to three years you get with most notebooks.

MacBook Air Verdict

When you weigh the compromises against what the MacBook Air offers, there are some good reasons to think twice and to wait for some of these innovations to grace the next iteration of the MacBook Air. But that’s reason talking. Our visceral reaction to the MacBook Air is that it’s a notebook we’d want to carry around everywhere. Road warriors who demand long battery life or a better selection of ports should pass, but this work of art is worth considering for corridor warriors who attend lots of meetings, as well as for commuters who do a fair amount of work while traveling to and from the office. You get an easy-to-use, secure, and fun operating system wrapped in the sexiest, thinnest package money can buy.

ASUS U2E-A28

If People magazine ran an issue of the world’s most beautiful laptops, the ASUS U2E would grace the cover. But it isn’t enough that the luxurious 3.2-pound ultraportable (priced at $2,699), aimed at business professionals, is clad in premium leather and has a stunning polished plated hinge. A 32GB solid state drive, an LED-backlit panel, an ultra low voltage Intel Core 2 Duo processor, and a thin built-in optical drive also make this notebook one of a kind.

Click here to see our hands-on video of the ASUS U2E.

Sexy Design, Small Build

Nigel Barker, fashion photographer and a judge on America’s Next Top Model, called the U2E a true “man bag,” thanks to its leather-clad chassis. The rich, black, premium leather finish on the lid feels a lot like a brand-new car seat. The leather not only makes a fashion statement, but its extension under the keyboard makes for a seriously comfortable palm rest. The luxury feast extends to the notebook’s polished plated hinge, which ASUS says is meant to be reminiscent of cuff links. These stainless steel accents add some serious fashion sense, but they can also get easily smeared with fingerprints.

Measuring 10.9 x 7.6 x 1.0 inches, the U2E is slight enough to tuck into the smallest carry-on, and at 3.4 pounds with its nine-cell battery (4 pounds with the charger), it’s light enough to carry all day. Usually with such diminutive dimensions we see sacrifices, but that’s not the case with the U2E: The system sports an HDMI port for easily hooking up to a larger screen, three USB ports (but no FireWire), a 8-in-1 media card reader, an ExpressCard slot, VGA port, LAN, modem, and a DVD±RW drive. With all that, and a three-cell battery, the U2E weighs 2.8 pounds—less than the 3-pound MacBook Air, although that system sports a much larger 13-inch screen.

Keyboard and Included Extras

For its size, the keyboard is extremely spacious and comfortable; a coating on top of the keys feels soft, and a slight gray speckle adds a nice subtle touch. Likewise, the touchpad has enough room for two fingers, and the mouse buttons provided sufficient tactile feedback. Nevertheless, ASUS includes a sharp-looking Logitech Bluetooth mouse. The company points out that, at least for now, the U2E is the only 3.2-pound laptop with an 11.1-inch screen to incorporate a multi-format DVD burner. ASUS also throws in a thin carrying case, a 160GB external hard drive, and an HDMI cord.

Nice LED Display, Weak Speakers

The glossy, 11.1-inch display employs backlit-LED technology, rather than the CCFL backlight used on most notebooks, making the U2E’s screen not only 20 percent brighter but 50 percent lighter and thinner. Additionally, the LED consumes less power than a traditonal LCD. The 1366 x 768-pixel panel was crisp, and colors looked clean. Streaming episodes of 30 Rock on Hulu.com looked quite good; colors were bright, and we saw no motion blur. To our disappointment, vertical viewing angles weren’t up to par. Moving just slightly off axis caused a substantial reflection shift, and the hinge restricts the screen from being able to lie fully flat.

The speakers were weak; we struggled to hear Tina Fey’s voice when watching those 30 Rock episodes; plugging in a pair of headphones helped, though. Audio quality was fine for making a call over Skype, but even with the volume turned all the way up, it was tough to hear our callers from 15 feet away. We did appreciate the system’s 0.3-megapixel webcam, however, which provided clear video images devoid of pixelated facial features.

Slow but Accurate Facial Recognition

The webcam also works in conjunction with the company’s SmartLogon face-recognition technology, which uses images to build and maintain a database of approved users for the machine. Like our experience with the 12.1-inch ASUS U6S, this feature was easy to set up and use. Simply launch the SmartLogon Manager utility and select the user account you want to add a photo for (you’ll be prompted for the password of that user account) and snap a photo for the database. The next time you are prompted for your Windows login, the SmartLogon utility compares your face to the photo before letting you in.

We did not find ASUS’ SmartLogon as responsive as Lenovo’s VeriFace technology, however. It took the system 30 seconds to log us in using our face—about twice as long as it took on the Lenovo IdeaPad Y510. Set to maximum security, though, the SmartLogon Manager utility was just as effective; it wasn’t fooled by a similar-looking female, someone of the opposite sex and a different race, or even a picture of the approved user. Combined with the notebook’s fingerprint reader, the U2E is one of the more secure ultraportables money can buy.

One Smokin’ SSD

One of the U2E’s standout features is its 32GB solid state drive (ASUS also offers the system with a 1.8-inch 120GB hard drive). Vista booted in a quick 43 seconds, and applications loaded quickly. In a side-by-side comparison with the Fujitsu LifeBook P1620, a similarly sized ultraportable, programs loaded twice as fast. We did notice, however, that the U2E became warm after a few hours, and the fan was loud during heavy use. For those who are worried that the 32GB SSD isn’t large enough for their storage needs, ASUS includes a 160GB external hard drive in the package.

ASUS U2E Performance

The U2E is powered by a 1.06-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Ultra Low Voltage U7500 processor and up to a whopping 4GB of RAM. It scored 96 on MobileMark 2007, which is right on track for an ultraportable. Its score of 981 on 3DMark03 is low for its class, but you’re not buying the U2E for its gaming prowess. When it came to graphics-intensive tasks, the U2E performed as we would expect for an ultraportable; a streaming video of a Michael Jackson concert was smooth but became choppy when we attempted to run a virus scan at the same time.

Strong Battery Life and Wi-Fi

ASUS includes both a three-cell and nine-cell battery standard with the U2E. The three-cell battery, which fits flush with the back of the notebook, delivered only about 2 hours and 10 minutes of runtime—decidedly low for an ultraportable. The nine-cell extended-life battery, which lengthens the back by a bit more than an inch, provided a seriously long runtime of 7 hours and 33 minutes. The U2E also comes with ASUS’ Power4 Gear, a management tool that allows you to choose among four preset power options, including High Performance, Entertainment Mode, Quiet Office, and Battery Savings. According to ASUS, the Battery Savings mode buys 20 percent more battery life than High Performance mode.

The U2E’s Wi-Fi speeds of 17.1 Mbps at 15 feet and 15.8 Mpbs at 50 feet are above average for the ultraportable category. There’s no integrated mobile broadband option, but you can easily plug a modem card into the ExpressCard slot.

Software and Warranty

The U2E comes preinstalled with Microsoft Vista Business, ASUS DVD, Media Show, PowerDirector and Nero Suite 7.9 (the OEM version). ASUS backs the system with a two-year global hardware warranty (one year on the battery) with free two-way overnight shipping, a 30-day zero bright-dot warranty on the display, and 24/7 tech support. ASUS laptops purchased in North America are also covered by the company’s accidental damage warranty that covers damage from spills, electrical surges, fire, or drops for one year.

Asus U2E Verdict

The U2E is hands-down one of the best-looking ultraportables on the market. However, its closest rivals—the $3,098 MacBook Air and the $2,936 Lenovo ThinkPad X300—pack larger, 13-inch screens, better performance scores, and larger solid state drives, all for just a few hundred dollars more. Nevertheless, the U2E’s fashion-forward design, along with its small and light build, DVD burner, and array of ports, make it a first-class luxury business notebook.

Lenovo ThinkPad X200

Although the ThinkPad X300 gets all of the attention for cramming so many features into a sleek 13.3-inch notebook, not everyone has more than $2,500 to drop on a laptop. As the successor to the ThinkPad X61, the equally portable and more affordable ThinkPad X200 (starting at $1,199; our particular Centrino Pro configuration will be available August 5 for closer to two grand) skips the X300’s optical drive and makes a solid state drive optional while offering a slightly smaller 12.1-inch widescreen.

More important, it boasts better performance and battery life than the pricier X300, thanks to Intel’s new Centrino 2 platform. And as with every ThinkPad, you get a durable design, stellar keyboard, and the security features that define a first-rate business ultraportable.

Design

The ThinkPad X200 features a lightweight, rock-solid design with Lenovo’s standard matte black finish. Measuring 11.6 x 9.2 x 0.8 inches and weighing 3.8 pounds (with the beefy nine-cell battery) the system’s magnesium alloy frame is thicker and heavier than the featherweight MacBook Air but feels more durable.

All the usual ports and connections are on board, starting with two USB ports, Ethernet, VGA, and an ExpressCard slot on the left side (along with the Wi-Fi switch). The right side houses an additional USB port, headphone and mic jacks, and a modem connection. Up front is a lone SD Card reader.

ThinkPads have been known for their sweet keyboards, and the X200 doesn’t disappoint. We loved the feel of the firm, responsive keys as we created documents in Word, and the spacious layout was conducive to an excellent typing experience. Unlike the X300, the X200 lacks a touchpad—we had to make due with just the TrackPoint—but we became acclimated to the responsive stick within a few minutes.

Display and Audio

Above the keyboard is the ThinkPad X200’s 12.1-inch display, which differs from its predecessor’s by offering a slightly sharper resolution (1280 x 800 pixels vs. 1024 x 768 pixels) and a much-appreciated widescreen format. (The standard format was one of our few gripes with the ThinkPad X61.) We jumped online to watch a high-definition trailer for The Dark Knight and were impressed with the deep blacks and color balance. The screen’s matte finish ensured minimal glare.

If you want to watch Blu-ray or DVD movies, you’ll have to invest in the ThinkPad X200 UltraBase dock ($299 for Blu-ray; $169 for DVD burner), as the system lacks an integrated optical drive. Above the display resides a VGA camera that delivered a smooth frame rate and a crisp picture both in bright and low light. Colors were a bit muted, however.

Audio quality is what you’d expect from a business machine; decent volume with a weak bottom end. Still, the dedicated volume controls located above the keyboard made it easy for us to quickly raise, lower, and mute sound.

Toshiba's Slim 2.5-inch Hard Drive Beefed-up to 400GB

Toshiba's just added a 400GB model to its range of 2.5-inch drives destined for notebook use. Not content with upping the capacity, the 9.5mm deep MK4058GSX is also designed for low noise emissions, and somehow squeezes those extra gigs onto only two platters. And it consumes 20% less power than its predecessor 320GB version, which sounds like good news for laptop battery life. It even earns green credentials as it's low enough in chlorine and bromine to be recognized as Toshiba's first 2.5-inch HDD "environmentally conscious product." It goes into mass production in September. Another five 7,200rpm HDDs also released at the same time are documented in the (enormously long) press release.

Jul 15, 2008 21:57

Toshiba Launches 400GB 2.5-Inch HDD Introduces New Line-up Of 7,200rpm Drives

-400GB Drive Cuts Acoustic Noise During Data Seek By 2dB(1) For near Silent Operation-
TOKYO —(Business Wire)— Jul. 15, 2008 Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO:6502) today announced a new line-up of high performance 2.5-inch HDDs, including a low-noise flagship model that boosts areal density to 477Mbit/mm2 (308Gbpsi) to achieve a capacity of 400GB on just two platters, plus five drives that bring new levels of performance and 7,200rpm rotational speeds to the company's full range of storage capacities.

Mass production of the 400GB MK4058GSX will start from September, targeting notebook PC and consumer electronic applications. Mass production of the 7,200rpm drives will start in August. The line-up includes the 320GB MK3254GSY and models with 80, 120, 160 and 250GB capacities.

Toshiba will feature the new drives at DISKCON JAPAN 2008, organized by The International Disk Drive Equipment and Materials Association (IDEMA), which will be held in Tokyo, Japan, from July 22 to 23, and at IFA 2008, one of the world's largest consumer electronics trade fairs, which will be held in Berlin, Germany, from August 29 to September 3.

The MK4058GSX uses an improved read-write head and enhanced magnetic layer to boost areal density to 477Mbit/mm2 and achieve a capacity of 400GB on only two platters, the highest data density of any of Toshiba's 2.5-inch HDD. A further plus is that acoustic noise during data seek has been reduced by 2 decibels (dB), compared to the company's current top-of-the-line 320GB MK3252GSX, making operation almost inaudible. As a result, the new 400GB drive is ideally suited for noise-free playback of movies and music on notebook PCs and digital products. These advances are complemented by an improved energy consumption efficiency(2) that makes the MK4058GSX approximately 20% more efficient than Toshiba's current top-of-the-line MK3252GSX.

The five other drives that Toshiba has added to its line-up take full advantage of a 7,200rpm rotation speed to boost performance. Compared to the current 200GB model (MK2049GSY), the 320GB MK3254GSY improves maximum internal data transfers rate by approximately 14% to support high-speed processing of high volume data, meeting demand for notebook and desktop PCs offering faster performance. The 320GB drives is also 37% more efficient than the MK2049GSY in terms of energy consumption efficiency(2). All of the drives, available in a line-up of 80, 120, 160, 250 and 320GB capacities, support an optional Free Fall Sensor function, that detects a falling HDD and parks the head before impact.

All the new drives comply with the European Union's RoHS directive(3) for eliminating use of six hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment, and the MK4058GSX is Toshiba's first halogen-free(4) 2.5-inch HDD.

Toshiba Group, a Corporate Citizen of the Planet Earth, is committed to realizing a better environment. Guided by "Toshiba Group Environmental Vision 2050" the Group is implementing measures to boost environmental efficiency by 10 times in FY2050, against the benchmark of FY2000. The core target is to reduce projected CO2 emissions by a total equivalent to 117.7 million tons a year by FY2025, through the development and sales of highly efficient power supply equipment and systems, and the manufacture of environmentally conscious home appliances and office equipment. By working to mitigate global warming, make efficient use of resources and control management of chemicals, Toshiba Group creates value for people and promotes lifestyles in harmony with the Earth.

Background

2.5-inch hard disk drives are now found in many and diverse applications, from desktop and mobile PCs to other digital consumer products. The market has a voracious appetite for larger data capacities, as more powerful networks and applications bring audio-visual capabilities to more products. Toshiba will sustain the industry's ability to meet customer needs by providing cutting-edge technologies that add to areal density, operating speed and overall drive performance.

Key Features of New Products

MK4058GSX

1. Achieving areal density of 477Mbit/mm2 (308Gbspi).

MK4058GSX achieves an areal density of 477Mbit/mm2, by the result of improving the read-write head and of an enhanced magnetic layer. With the same two platter design as Toshiba's current 320GB design, the new model offers a 400GB capacity, the largest yet achieved, while retaining the 9.5mm thickness of its predecessor.

2. 2dB acoustic noise reduction in data seek.

Toshiba has directed its latest advances in HDD technology to reduce noise by 2dB, suppressing it to a level where users can playback movies and music without any noise distraction during data seek.

3. Improved energy consumption efficiency.

Compared to the 320GB MK3252GSX, the new MK4058GSX improves energy consumption efficiency, as defined under the Japanese legal standard, to 0.0015W/GB, a 20% improvement.

4. Environmentally conscious products

(1) Halogen Free Product

The MK4058GSX is Toshiba's first 2.5-inch HDD that achieve chlorine and bromine concentrations below the standard required for recognition as a Toshiba environmentally conscious products, an ECP (below 900ppm for each, and an overall total below 1,500ppm).

(2) Lower CO2 emissions during the product lifecycle

During their lifecycle, the new drives will lower CO2 emissions by approximately 95g a year(5).

(3) RoHS compatible

The new drive complies with the European Union's RoHS directive for eliminating use of six hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment.

(4) MK4058GSX meets standards for certification as a standout Toshiba ECP

Toshiba is promoting an "Excellent ECP" program to stimulate creation of high value products offering exceptional environmental friendliness. For more information, visit http://www.toshiba.co.jp/env/en/products/index.htm

MK3254GSY and other 7,200rpm drives

1. Expanding the 7,200rpm line-up to a storage capacity of 320GB.

An improved read-write head and enhanced magnetic layer combine with a rotation speed of 7,200rpm to realize a maximum storage capacity of 320GB. Toshiba's 7,200rpm HDD offer a wide line-up of capacities: 80, 120, 160, 250 and 320GB.

2. Improved energy consumption efficiency

Compared to the 200GB MK2049GSY, the new MK3254GSY improves energy consumption efficiency, as defined under the Japanese legal standard, to 0.0028W/GB, a 37% improvement.

3. Free Fall Sensor function integrated (option).

The new 7,200rpm drive support an optional Free Fall Sensor function, which detects a falling HDD and parks the head before it crashes.

4. Environmentally conscious products

(1) RoHS compatible

The new drives comply with the European Union's RoHS directive for eliminating use of six hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment.

(2) The new 7,200rpm drives meet standards for certification as a standout Toshiba ECPs

Toshiba is promoting an "Excellent ECP" program to stimulate creation of high value products offering exceptional environmental friendliness. For more information, visit http://www.toshiba.co.jp/env/en/products/index.htm

*1 Comparison based on Toshiba's current 2.5-inch HDD (MK3252GSX).

*2 Energy consumption efficiency is calculated based power consumption divided by formatted capacity, as defined by Japanese law.

*3 The RoHS Directive, which came into effect in July 2006, is a European Union directive that eliminates the use of six hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment.

*4 Chlorine and bromine reductions are targeted, and concentrations are controlled to a level below the standard required for recognition as a Toshiba environmentally conscious products, an ECP (below 900ppm for each, with an overall total below 1,500ppm).

Toshiba's LED TV Screen Lights up Center Stage in Times Square

Only back in May were we talking about another Times Square display—Walgreen's one—and today Toshiba's news is about its new display there. Sitting 285 feet in the air, the 51.2-foot by 52.5-foot display is a 1280 x 1248 pixel LED high-definition monster that uses some proprietary Technovirtual technology to create virtual pixels to achieve an even higher apparent resolution. It can show over a billion colors, and since it sits atop One Times Square, it's got a pretty commanding view over the streets. And environmentalists may be pleased to learn it replaces a previous screen that consumed much more power. High-def advertising and green credentials? Impress

NEW IPHONE BY IPOD

Undoubtedly the iPhone is a game changing device that has turned the US mobile device market on its head. How many of the new devices that are coming out from manufacturers would exist today without the competition the iPhone provided.

With all of its features and its cool interface, there is one part of the new 3G iPhone (which launches today July 11th) that is the most important for marketers. That is GPS. For the first time ever, GPS will be fully integrated on a user-frindly, consumer device. It's intuitive, unlike previous phones where you had to hack to get it to work. Not only that, but the developer SDK allows you, the marketers, to create applications that use this technology.

Ask yourself, what would you do differently if you knew exactly where your customers were? Would you create an app that links people together who are physically close? Would you offer messages that were relevant to their present location? Here are a number of options that GPS location adds to the marketing mix unlike any time in the history of marketing.

Ask yourself, what would you do differently if you knew exactly where your customers were?

Geo-tagging - Now that the device knows where you are, it can add geo-tagging information to almost any data you collect. Shoot a photo at the Grand Canyon and upload it to Flickr and Flickr will pull the geo information and place the photo on the right place on the map. Send a message to Twitter and it could update your location to the nearest city name or even the exact location you're standing (creepy I know).

Proximity Awareness - Think about the possibilities of Facebook knowing where you are and where your friends are in real time. Facebook's iPhone app could alert you when any of your contacts are within 1/2 mile of your location. You could private message them to see if they can meet up or send them an SMS message.

For marketers, you could create an application (that people opt-in to by installing it) that allows them to receive promotions and offers whenever they are within a radius of a store. If Starbucks hasn't done this already I am not sure what they're waiting for. Users could adjust their radius or disable the messages at any time.

Mobile Commerce - This goes hand-in-hand with proximity awareness and is very powerful for marketers. The iPhone will allow easier commerce transactions to happen in a more trusted environment. From the application store to mobile song purchases, if you are serving up relevant, geo-targeted messages you can now follow that through purchase with micro transactions. This takes mobile messaging to a new level of effectiveness for marketing organizations.

Localized Search Relationships - Using search on the iPhone is effortless. Now, however, add in the location where the user is standing. Instead of searching for Chipotle and having to scan for the one near you, the phone will present you the closest location, give you the phone number and offer directions (which works like a car's GPS system with turn-by-turn options). Refer back to mobile commerce and apply that to search that is local and it's another way to drive business and conversions.

So, what do you think? More and more devices will surely follow suit. Are you ready for location? What value can you add to your customers that would help them adopt your product or service? What can you do before the competition to really set yourself apart?

If you're visiting this post on an iPhone