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PC vs. Mac: The Straight Scoop
Apple Tops Consumer Computer Manufacturer Ratings Again
Apple Once Again Tops The List Of PC Manufacturers, But Declines From 2008
15 iPad Mysteries Remain
Everything You Need To Know About The iPad
Inside Apple’s iPad: iPhone OS vs Mac OS X
OS X Share Up 29% In Past Year, Slowly Chipping Away At Microsoft
A Mac User & Windows 7 On An Intel i7 Laptop
Ubuntu 10.04 Keeping Pace, Or More, With Windows 7
Laptops Galore Await Show Attendees in Hanover
Acer To Launch Ultra-thin Calpella-based Notebook Series In Q2 2010
More Workers Poisoned By Supplier For Apple, Nokia
Silicon Sweatshops: Another Black Eye For Apple Supplier
iPod Battery Life: a Simple Test
Apple Says 27-Inch iMac Display Issues Have Been Addressed
Apple Admits To Yellow-tint iMac Issues
Apple Should Ban Freebees From The iPad App Store Says Wilcox
Apple Anti-porn Crusade About Image, Not Money Or Offended Ladies
Seven Steps To Netbook Marital Bliss With Windows 7
Five Tips to Prevent iPad Eye Strain
Apple Admits Using Child Labour
Apple Admits Using Factories That Employ Chinese Children Child Labour PR Nightmare Looms'
PC vs. Mac: The Straight Scoop
In Technologizer’s Harry McCracken’s latest FoxNews.com column, he takes a crack at comparing PCs and Macs for non-geeks, observing that egged on by both Apple and Microsoft advertising campaigns Windows advocates accuse Mac users of belonging to a fancy-pants cult, while Mac contend Windows users are undiscerning owners of hunks of generic junk - as he says, a pretty undignified squabble in which McCracken declares humself cheerfully agnostic, variously recommending and using Windows PCs and Macs.
With PC vs. Mac debate having raged now for more than a quarter-century, Harry says making sense of it requires particualr moment in time evaluation, and elaborates his take on things as of early 2010.
For example in the cost and value element of the debate, McCracken says every time he does the math, he reaches the conclusion Mac prices aren’t out of whack with that of similar Windows machines, and that in fact Windows laptops most directly comparable to Apple s MacBook Pro line actually cost more than roughly equivalent Macs.
He also determines that the Mac comes out on top in terms of operating system (although less radically with Windows 7 than was the case with Vista), and that Mac owners running no security software are still vastly less likely malware attack victim than Windows users protected up to their eyeballs.
Interesting analysis. You can check it out at:
http://technologizer.com/2010/02/27/pc-or-mac/
Apple Tops Consumer Computer Manufacturer Ratings Again
Infoworld’s Christina Tynan-Wood reports that according to a recent study, customer experiences with the big six PC manufacturers leave plenty of room for improvement, noting that Forrester Research’s recently released “Customer Experience Index 2010: PC Manufacturers” provides interesting insights into customers overall level of satisfaction with service received from Acer, Apple, Compaq, Dell, HP, and Toshiba in three categories: Meets Needs, Easy to Work With, and Enjoyability.
Happily, Apple came out on top for the second year in a row, with Dell also repeating at the bottom, but with none receiving an Excellent overall rating, the threshold for that being a customer experience index of 85 percent or above. Apple came closest at 78 percent.
For the full report visit here:
http://www.infoworld.com/d/adventures-in-it/how-does-your-pc-manufacturer-rate-842
Apple Once Again Tops The List Of PC Manufacturers, But Declines From 2008
Forrester Research’s Bruce D. Temkin, William Chu, and Shelby Catino report that Forrester asked more than 4,600 US consumers about their interactions with a variety of companies, scoring those experiences in three areas: meets needs, easy to work with, and enjoyability, and based on consumer responses calculated Forrester’s third annual Customer Experience Index (CxPi). In the PC category, for the second year in a row, Apple took top spot, and Dell the bottom ranking, but the bad news is that Apple actually declined the most since 2008.
For more information, visit:
http://tinyurl.com/ybj8mxg
15 iPad Mysteries Remain
Computerworld's Mike Elgan says that Steve Jobs is such a great salesman he can actually give us a sense of familiarity with something we don’t know anything about. Apple’s iPad is a perfect example. But huge, fundamental questions about the device remain unanswered.
Such as…
• When can you buy one?
• When can you pre-order one?
• Will AT&T delay the 3G version?
• Where will the missing iPhone apps show up?
• Will there be new ‘gestures’ we don’t yet know about?
• Will Apple censor TV, movies and magazines?
You can check it out at:
http://tinyurl.com/ydqqfhb
Everything You Need To Know About The iPad
Macworld UK tackles questions about Apple's new tablet, plus a few of their own Macworld staff, including
• What s the iPad going to cost? (in the UK)
• Will all models be available at the same time?
• Are there any other differences between the WiFi and 3G models?
• If I wait and pay more for the 3G model, will I get free 3G access?
• And what's that going to cost me?
• Which mobile networks will be able to support the iPad?
• Should the iPad support pen-input?
• Will everything be available in the UK at the same time as the US?
• What if I don t want to use the on-screen keyboard to type in long emails?
• Does the iPad have a built-in GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver?
• How hot will it get?
• Is there any way to get files off the device?
• Will it stream video and audio podcasts from the iTunes store?
• Will I be able to print from the iPad?
• Will I be able to buy magazines through iBooks and the iBookstore?
• How much will books cost?
• Can the iBooks app display PDFs or ePub files that didn't come from the iTunes store?
• Will books purchased through iBookstore have digital-rights management restrictions?
• Is the iPad going to require developers to completely rebuild their iPhone apps?
• Will I be able to move the apps I ve already bought for my iPhone onto an iPad?
• Is there a way to get apps on the device that don t come through the App Store?
• Will the iPad display web content made using Flash?
• Apple tweaked iWork to run on the iPad why not iLife?
• How does Photos on the iPad compare to iPhoto?
• What's the relationship between the Calendar and Mail apps on the iPad and their iPhone/Mac counterparts?
• I already carry an iPhone and a laptop. Why do I need a third device?
For the answers, visit:
http://tinyurl.com/ycelzfs
Inside Apple’s iPad: iPhone OS vs Mac OS X
Appleinsider’s Daniel Eran Dilger says:
Apple’s new iPad is facing criticism for using the streamlined iPhone OS rather than the full Mac OS X, but Apple has a number of reasons for aligning the iPad with the iPhone rather than its desktop Mac platform.
Dilger suggests that rather than being a dumbed down notebook, the iPad is most accurately categorized as a scaled up iPhone.
To read more, click here.
http://tinyurl.com/ylju8p5
OS X Share Up 29% In Past Year, Slowly Chipping Away At Microsoft
VentureBeat’s LeeAnn Prescott reports that Web measurement company Quantcast recently began publishing stats on operating system browser share from its sample of quantified publishers, and data shows that in January 2010, Microsoft Windows accounted for 86.8% share of North American web consumption, Apple OS X accounted for 10.9%, and mobile browsers accounted for 1.3%.
That means Apple’s relative share has grown by 29.4% in the past year, while Windows lost 3.8%.
For the full report visit here:
http://bit.ly/b0OVma
A Mac User & Windows 7 On An Intel i7 Laptop
ApplePeels’ blogger says his former PC laptop running Vista nearly drove him to distraction with its angularities while during that whole time white Intel based MacBook with OS X stood tall…..
However, he complains that his wife needed a new laptop and he was willing to buy her a new unibody MacBook, but only if Apple would refresh it with Intel’s latest Core “i” series processors, noting that one of Apple’s purported reasons for switching to Intel was so ita customers wouldn’t have to wait for the latest and greatest processor developments, so what’s up with the Core “i” delay on the Mac?
When a Staples sale made it possible to get a 14” i5 laptop for his wife and a 15” i7 laptop for himself at a total cost a couple of hundred dollars less than the price of one 15” MacBook Pro with its outdated Core 2 Dup processor, he couldn’t resist, paying under $1,500 before taxes for the two Windows 7 boxes, and observing that he’s found Windows 7 an immensely pleasing surprise - stable, fast, and Mac-like enough that his wife should encounter few problems using it and concluding that the days when Mac laptops were great values seem to be over, and anticipating that the new new HP Pavilion i7 laptop will handle his computing needs for a long time, and at a very reasonable price.
For the full commentary visit here:
http://bit.ly/cDjuEi
Ubuntu 10.04 Keeping Pace, Or More, With Windows 7
ChannelWeb’s Edward F. Moltzen says:
The Ubuntu community released Alpha 3 of the next-generation Lucid Lynx version of its desktop OS, and it’s becoming increasingly clear that Microsoft will have difficulty putting any daylight between Windows 7 and the free operating system.
Lucid Lynx is not even in beta yet, but already the signs are clear from its final Alpha version that the development community led by Canonical is outdoing itself. The OS, as we’ve previously noted, is closer than Windows 7 to the long-coveted “instant on” designation. After a breezy, 10-minute installation on a PC with an Intel Core 2 Duo E7400 at 2.80GHz and 2 GB of RAM, the newest Lucid Lynx Alpha booted in 15.2 seconds.
To read more, click here.
http://bit.ly/9geowE
Laptops Galore Await Show Attendees in Hanover
IDG News Service’s Mikael Rickns reports:
A raft of new netbooks, laptops and computers with 3D support will be on display at Cebit in Hanover, Germany, next week…
Netbooks will also have a presence at the show. Asus is, for example, expected to expand its line of Eee PC netbooks.
For the full report visit here:
http://bit.ly/cRT9CA
Acer To Launch Ultra-thin Calpella-based Notebook Series In Q2 2010
DIGITIMES Yen-Shyang Hwang and Joseph Tsai report that Acer is fixing to launch Intel Calpella platform-based notebooks featuring ultra-thin designs in Q2 2010, of which, Wistron will manufacture 13-inch models and Quanta Computer 14- and 15-inch models, according to sources from notebook makers.
The report projects that Acer’s Calpella Slim notebook series and related notebooks will be less than one-inch thick at their thinnest point, running Intel’s CULV processors, and the company estimates ultra-thin models will account for 30-40% of Acer’s notebook shipments in 2010, equivalent to about 13-18 million units.
For more information, visit:
http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20100226PD211.html
More Workers Poisoned By Supplier For Apple, Nokia
The Register’s Rik Myslewski reports:
The Taiwanese company that provides displays and electronic components for Apple, Nokia, and others has admitted that more employees than previously reported have been poisoned by an industrial chemical used in its manufacturing facilities.
For the full report visit here:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/02/26/wintek_poisoning/
Silicon Sweatshops: Another Black Eye For Apple Supplier
GlobalPost’s Kathleen E. McLaughlin reports:
A Taiwanese manufacturer that makes LCD screens and components for tech giants like Apple confirmed Thursday that more of its workers in China were sickened by chemical exposure than it previously reported.
For the full report visit here:
http://bit.ly/c3w9mM
iPod Battery Life: a Simple Test
MacFixIt’s Joe Aimonetti says:
If your iPod battery is not performing up to snuff, you can perform a simple test before heading to your local Apple Store for a replacement. The results could save you plenty of time, better spent listening to all your killer tunes.
For more information, visit:
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13727_7-10460580-263.html?tag=mncol;txt
Apple Says 27-Inch iMac Display Issues Have Been Addressed
AppleInsider Staff report:
After months of reported issues with flickering and yellowing on new 27-inch iMac displays, Apple has publicly stated that the problems have been fixed by its two software updates.
For the full report visit here:
http://bit.ly/aMRip9
Apple Admits To Yellow-tint iMac Issues
Macworld’s Serenity Caldwell says:
For all of you who bought a brand new iMac only to have something sickly and yellow-tinted show up, it looks like you may finally get some answers or at least, a public admission of the problem.
For the full report visit here:
http://www.macworld.com/article/146754/2010/02/yellow_imac.html
Apple Should Ban Freebees From The iPad App Store Says Wilcox
BetsNews’s Joe Wilcox says:
Apple shouldn’t treat iPad like iPhone or iPod touch. The iPad App Store should be stocked full of premium content, meaning no freebees. It’s the right way to help establish iPad as a premium product, as something special like the Macintosh.
For the full commentary visit here:
http://bit.ly/dBYkvo
Apple Anti-porn Crusade About Image, Not Money Or Offended Ladies
CrunchGear's John Biggs says:
Remember that whole porn crackdown that nobody cares about anymore? Wonder why it happened?
It wasn t the money. It wasn't hypocritical. It wasn't about defending the rights of women to browse the app store unflustered. It was about image.
For the full commentary visit here:
http://bit.ly/byoT9E
Seven Steps To Netbook Marital Bliss With Windows 7
Ars Technica's Ari Allyn-Feuer notes that of the more than fifty million netbooks sold since the phenomenon’s beginnings in late 2007, only a small fraction run Windows 7, and elucidates seven steps to optimizing your netbook for maximum Windows 7 performance.
You can check it out at:
http://bit.ly/cAyo8N
Five Tips to Prevent iPad Eye Strain
PCWorld's Tony Bradley says:
The iPad is coming soon.... If you believe Apple’s hype about the “magic” of the device, soon millions of Americans will rely on the Apple iPad for all manner of media consumption—movies, books, TV shows, newspapers, etc. That means millions of Americans will spend even more time with their faces basked in the pale glow of a backlit screen, possibly doing damage to their vision...
All of that time engrossed in backlit liquid crystal displays of some type or another can put a tremendous strain on your vision, and have lasting consequences for your long-term eye health. Thankfully, you don’t have to live a Luddite existence and simply abandon technology.
To read more, click here.
http://bit.ly/brpnKC
Apple Admits Using Child Labour
The Telegraph's Malcolm Moore reports that Apple has admitted that child labour was used at the factories that build its computers, iPods and mobile phones.in Shanghai where at least eleven 15-year-old children were discovered to be working last year in three factories which supply Apple.
For the full report visit here:
http://bit.ly/cjMCuv
Apple Admits Using Factories That Employ Chinese Children Child Labour PR Nightmare Looms
TechRadar's Adam Hartley says:
Apple admits to using Chinese suppliers that employ children Apple has admitted that child labour was used at some of the Chinese factories the company uses to manufacture computers, iPods and iPhones.
Eleven 15-year-old children were found to be working in 2009 at three factories that supply Apple directly.
However, a forum responder says "I would rather live in China which does not have a drugs problem and it’s safe for anyone to walk home a night, than your so-called ‘civilisation’. If 15 year olds are working in factories it must be to support their families. Try LIVING in China and get the real picture, not the **** you read about 2nd hand."
[Good points Ed.]
For the full report visit here:
http://bit.ly/bN3GzE
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