Applelinks Tech Web Reader - Monday, November 10, 2008
Macworld Tests New MacBook Air 1.86GHz
3D Game Shootout: Three "Late 2008" Apple Laptops
Spaces: Made for MacBook
Computershopper Reviews MacBook Pro (15.4-inch)
New MacBook: Tempted, yes. Buying one, no
Judge Blocks IBM Exec From Working At Apple
Judge: Papermaster's first day at Apple delayed
Apple iPhone Chief Claims He Didn't Violate IBM Contract
Microsoft looking at Webkit For IE 8?
Why IE 8 won't use the WebKit rendering engine
Boiling Temperature—Not Just for Vista Anymore
MySpace Rival To iPod Is 'Possible', Says Chief Executive
Former fatty buys Apple
Hooked On Macs: Jonathan Ross Buys Five MacBook Pros
The Mac Night Owl: Is it Time to Ditch Desktops for Good?
The Tech Night Owl: The Night Owl's Late 2008 Toolbox
Macworld Tests New MacBook Air 1.86GHz
Macworld's James Galbraith reports:
At a media event on October 14, Apple announced a top-to-bottom refresh of its portable Macs. Along with new unibody MacBooks and MacBook Pros, the company also unveiled an updated MacBook Air that featured faster graphics and more storage.
The new $2,499 top-of-the-line MacBook Air has arrived in the Macworld Lab, and our test results show that while the many under-the-hood improvements have helped to make Apple's ultraportable more competitive in terms of performance, it's still a product that you buy for its small size and light weight, not its speed.
For the full review visit here:
http://www.macworld.com/article/136634/2008/11/macbook_air_tests.html
3D Game Shootout: Three "Late 2008" Apple Laptops
BareFeats' rob-ART morgan reports:
We now have 3D Game test results for three models of the 'late 2008' Apple laptops: 13" MacBook 2.4GHz, 15" MacBook Pro 2.53GHz, and 15" MacBook Pro 2.8GHz.
Since the MacBook's 13" screen maxes out at 1280x800, we are making that our "common denominator." (If you want to see 1440x900 results, we have a special page for that.) We included results for the fastest iMac, fastest Mac Pro, and fastest 'early 2008' MacBook Pro.
For the full report visit here:
http://www.barefeats.com/mbpp05.html
Spaces: Made for MacBook
Blogger Sparkplug 9 says:
I've used virtual Windows before … it must have been 7-8 years ago when I was deep into web application development, and desktop real estate was still expensive …
But I haven't enabled Spaces yet … mostly because I had Leopard on our home iMac, with a 20" screen. The screen was big enough for most work, and I didn't actually do much work on it in any case.
But I just picked up a MacBook for my new job …
Surprisingly (to myself) I haven't actually missed the desktop real estate that much. That's what the fairly hi-res 1280 x 800 and high-quality screen will do for you. But there are occasions when I like to only see the windows associated with the application I'm currently using - and that's where Spaces shines.
For the full commentary visit here:
http://sparkplug9.com/2008/11/06/spaces-made-for-macbook/
Computershopper Reviews MacBook Pro (15.4-inch)
Computershopper's Les L. Shu reports:
It has been several years since Apple completely updated the look of the MacBook Pro. When the PowerBook G4 switched from the titanium casing to an aluminum one, Apple retained the exact design it used when it switched over to Intel processors and renamed its performance line the MacBook Pro. With the new MacBook Pro, Apple has not only redesigned the case to make it even sleeker, but updated the specs to make one potent portable.
For the full report visit here:
http://computershopper.com/laptops/reviews/apple-macbook-pro-15.4-inch
New MacBook: Tempted, yes. Buying one, no
MacUser's Nik Rawlinson says:
The new MacBooks look great and perform admirably, but I won't be replacing my ageing white MacBook just yet, it still works perfectly well.
Suddenly my MacBook looks old. Just like my iPhone did the day the 3G edition appeared. It's white, it's grubby, it's plastic and it looks like the interim stopgap it clearly always was.
But you know what? I don't care.....
Macs, as we've often said, have remarkable staying power, and the fact that you're using old, technologically outdated kit is testament to Apple's brilliance. While every 'improvement' to Windows seems to require that you upgrade or replace your existing machine, Apple has always striven to maintain backwards compatibility for machines five or more years old.
For the full commentary visit here:
http://www.macuser.co.uk/columns/234120/editorial-tempted-yes-buying-one-no.html
Judge Blocks IBM Exec From Working At Apple
EE Times' Mark LaPedus reports:
In what could turn into a bitter legal battle, a U.S. District Court in New York has ordered a former executive from IBM Corp. to stop working at Apple Computer Inc., according to reports.
Federal District Judge Kenneth Karas ordered that Mark Papermaster must ''cease his employment'' at Apple for the time being, ''because he might be violating an agreement with his former employer, IBM,'' according to Reuters.
For the full report visit here:
http://www.eetimes.com/news/semi/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=212001337
Judge: Papermaster's first day at Apple delayed
CNET's Tom Krazit reports:
A judge has granted IBM's preliminary injunction aimed at preventing former executive Mark Papermaster from reporting for duty as Apple's new iPhone leader..
Apple hired Papermaster as the new head of iPhone and iPod development earlier this month, but IBM sued Papermaster last week claiming he is violating the terms of a noncompete agreement with IBM in accepting the job at Apple. U.S. District Court Judge Kenneth Karas ordered Papermaster on Friday to "immediately cease his employment with Apple Inc. until further order of this court," according to a filing made public Friday afternoon
For the full report visit here:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-10087247-37.html?tag=mncol
Apple iPhone Chief Claims He Didn't Violate IBM Contract
InformationWeek's Paul McDougall reports:
Apple's newly appointed chief of iPod and iPhone engineering said his move to Cupertino does not violate a noncompete contract he signed with former employer IBM because Apple and IBM are not competitors.
"To the best of my knowledge, IBM does not design, manufacture or market consumer electronic products," said Mark Papermaster, in a court document filed Thursday. "Instead, IBM focuses on high-performance business systems such as information technology infrastructure, servers and information storage products, and operating systems software," Papermaster noted.
For the full report visit here:
http://tinyurl.com/57a337
Microsoft looking at Webkit For IE 8?
CNET's Margaret Kane reports:
During a tour of Australia, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has made some news.... an apparent throwaway remark regarding WebKit, an open-source browser rendering project, has caused yet another stir. Webkit is used by Google's Chrome browser and Apple's Safari browser.
Speaking at a developer event, Ballmer was asked whether Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser was in danger of being bypassed by open-source development.
In response, Ballmer said that open source is "interesting" and that Microsoft "may need to have a rendering service." He added that Apple has embraced Webkit and Microsoft "may look into it."
For the full report visit here:
http://tinyurl.com/5lv8gz
Why IE 8 won't use the WebKit rendering engine
ZNet's Mary Jo Foley says:
Despite the fact that many developers would welcome more rendering-engine compatibility, anyone expecting Microsoft to switch out its "Trident" engine and replace it with WebKit in Internet Explorer (IE) — especially in IE 8 — is misguided.
Comments this week by CEO Steve Ballmer set off speculation about Microsoft's WebKit plans. Responding to a question during an appearance for the Australian development community, Ballmer said Microsoft could "from time to time take a look at" WebKit, the open-source rendering engine at the heart of the Apple Safari and Google Chrome browsers.
I can see a number of reasons Microsoft won't be adopting WebKit any time soon - and not simply because introducing an open-source engine into a closed-source browser would set off many Softies' alarm bells.
For the full report visit here:
http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=1705
Boiling Temperature—Not Just for Vista Anymore
onscreen-scientist.com says:
As I slowly crawl my way out of a case of "walking pneumonia" that has lasted for over five weeks now, and while I'm still not up to anything that requires much energy, mental or physical, let me report on the health of my MacBook Pro system, which has been occasionally running a fever far, far higher than the low grade ones I've been experiencing from time to time. Beyond entertaining the (probably few) who enjoy accounts of unsolved computer problems, I'm hoping that, in case others have encountered similar unexplained behavior, this report might provide data to help someone figure out what the likely cause of the problem is.
Back in March in a post called Vista on My MacBook Pro is Hot—Boiling Hot!, I reported on the high temperatures (up to 100 C or 212 F, the boiling point of water) I'd observed while running graphics-intensive software under Windows Vista installed on a Boot Camp partition on my first generation MacBook Pro. Since not a day goes by without a few visitors arriving at this blog due to Google searches on terms such as "macbook pro runs hot in vista," I've concluded that the high temperature under Vista must be something that has caused concern to a lot of people. I have no way of knowing if this is mainly Apple's, Intel's, or Microsoft's fault, though I suspect it is Apple's, since Vista's operating temperature would naturally have a much lower priority for Apple.
I've recently observed temperatures under Mac OS 10.5.5 that make the Vista temperatures seem mild in comparison, however......
For the full commentary visit here:
http://onscreen-scientist.com/?p=40
MySpace Rival To iPod Is 'Possible', Says Chief Executive
The Telegraph's Matthew Moore reports:
The social networking website recently revamped its music offering to allow fans to share and buy songs, and is looking at further ways of bolstering its presence in the market.
Asked at the Web 2.0 conference in San Francisco if the firm would consider producing its own MP3 player for users to listen to tracks they had downloaded, MySpace's Chris DeWolfe replied that "it's possible".
Any MySpace player would face an tough battle to compete with the Apple iPod, which synchronises with iTunes computer software and online music store.
For the full report visit here:
http://tinyurl.com/6hyklz
Former fatty buys Apple
Yale Daily News's Matthew George says:
People freak out in different ways. Some throw things. Others stab demons that turn out to be robot stepfathers (Buffy, Season 1, Episode 9).
I buy Macintosh products.
I am currently using, for the first time, my new "Pages" software, the Mac equivalent to Word. Is it any different? I avoid honesty when answering that question in an effort to let go of $75 with ease and say, "Yes, it is much more user-friendly. That interface!"....
But Matthew, you say, I don't give a damn. I can't imagine a more clichd topic on which to expound. To you people, I proudly say:
You are right.
That is precisely half of the problem. I don't feel special about my life crises anymore; they are just too generic to be solved, and thus no one feels bad for me....
Wandering around campus this fall, I know I am lost. Horrifically lost. But I also know that I am surrounded by friends who are all just trying to find their way too. There is a comfort in that.....
Knowing this, I feel much more comfortable clicking the "Buy Now" button for a newly refurbished iPod Touch, Second Generation on Apple.com.....
For the full commentary visit here:
http://www.yaledailynews.com/articles/view/26302
Hooked On Macs: Jonathan Ross Buys Five MacBook Pros
The Daily Star's Sharon Feinstein reports:
Jonathan Ross has consoled himself over his BBC suspension by buying five top-of-the-range laptop computers.
Pals of the shamed chat show host say he has splashed out on a handful of swanky Apple MacBooks.
And losing 2m in earnings clearly hasn't cut his spending power the must-have Macs cost 1,000 a time.
Pals say he already owns 12 MacBooks and four PCs. But he couldn't wait to get his hands on the latest gadgets, which are made from a single block of aluminium and went on sale last week.
For the full report visit here:
http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/view/57817/Wossy-s-hooked-on-Macs/
The Mac Night Owl: Is it Time to Ditch Desktops for Good?
For better or worse, Apple is often way ahead of the curve when it comes to anticipating industry trends. Sometimes it’s even responsible for those new directions.
Here's the URL for today's commentary:
http://tinyurl.com/6ywthu
Notes: You can also access our new RSS feed, available at:
http://www.macnightowl.com/rss
The Tech Night Owl: The Night Owl's Late 2008 Toolbox
I know that most of you probably don’t care a whit about the hardware I use for my daily work. Some of you might, however, find it useful in the event your requirements are similar to mind. Rest assured, I don’t think I necessarily have anything to boast about.
Here's the link to the story:
http://www.macnightowl.com/newsletter/2008/11/newsletter-issue-467/#toolbox
Notes: You can also access our RSS feed, available at:
http://www.macnightowl.com/newsletter/rss
Or our Atom feed at:
http://www.macnightowl.com/newsletter/atom
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