Applelinks Tech Web Reader - Monday, October 6, 2008
Watch Your Wallet Buying Memory from the Apple Store
Tech Tips for the Basic Computer User
Finding 10.5.5's Bug Fixes
Users Cannot Purchase In eBay using Safari; eBay suggests Firefox
Apple Threatens Lawsuit Over British Columbia Computer School's Logo
PC Mag: Biden v. Palin: The Tech Positions
Apple Shares Plunge After Jobs 'Heart Attack'
Securities Officials Probe Jobs Heart Attack Rumour
Steve Jobs rumor: What can the SEC do?
The Apple Of Modern Cars
Apple surrenders the Pink (to Microsoft)
(Real World) Speed Freak On Faster Hard Drives
Getting the Most from Your G3 Mac
nVIDIA Announcement Date Moved - Graphics Chip For New MacBook Pro Coming?
Advice for SheepShaver, OS 9 on Intel Macs
The Day My iPhotos Vanished
Apple TV 2.2 update delivers HDTV shows, Genius support
Forget the Dock, Master The Menu Bar
Older Mac Pros Toxic or Just Smelly?
PC Mag: Apple Argues That It's Not a Monopoly
PC Mag: Music-Download Royalty Rates Left Unchanged
PC Mag: Saving Internet Radio
PC Mag: Five Things Your Mac Won't Tell You
The Mac Night Owl: Is Apple Finally Learning How to Listen to You?
The Tech Night Owl: Marginalizing the Mac or Just Plain Stupidity?
Watch Your Wallet Buying Memory from the Apple Store
A ramseeker.com blog says:
This is why ramseeker.com exists. Because I'm too cheap to pay for 'Apple' Memory. And you should be too.
Here's the pricing for iMac Memory as listed at the Apple Store.
Apple Store. 1gb - $100.
Apple Store. 2gb - $200
Apple Store. 4gb - $400.
Now, let's compare the same memory from our vendors we list on ramseeker
Cheapest 1gb memory upgrade for iMac - 15.49
Most Expensive 1gb memory upgrade for iMac - 39.00
Cheapest 2gb memory upgrade for iMac- $30.99
Most Expensive 2gb memory upgrade for iMac - $75.00
Cheapest 4gb Memory Upgrade for iMac KITS - $62.99
Most Expensive 4gb Memory Upgrade for iMac KITS - $115.99.
For the full commentary visit here:
http://blog.ramseeker.com/2008/10/03/apple-memory-pricing-sure-is-expensive/
Tech Tips for the Basic Computer User
The New York Times' David Pogue says:
Last week, I wrote an entry on my blog that began like this:
"One of these days, I'm going to write a book called, 'The Basics.' It's going to be a compendium of the essential tech bits that you just assume everyone knowsbut you're wrong.
"(I'll never forget watching a book editor at a publishing house painstakingly drag across a word in a word processor to select it. After 10 minutes of this, I couldn't stand it. 'Why don't you just double-click the word?' She had no clue you could do that!)"
Many readers chimed in with other "basics" that they assumed every computer user knewbut soon discovered that what's common knowledge isn't the same as universal knowledge.
I'm sure the basics could fill a book, but here are a few to get you started. All of these are things that certain friends, family or coworkers, over the years, did *not* know. Clip, save and pass along to…well, you know who they are.....
You can check it out at:
http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/02/tech-tips-for-the-basic-computer-user/
Finding 10.5.5's Bug Fixes
MacWorld's Ted Landau says: :
Based on news reports, it would be difficult to overestimate how many bugs Mac OS X 10.5.5 managed to fix. Macworld reported that the update addressed "33 issues with the operating system." Other sites suggested that 10.5.5 patched "nearly 70 bugs.". According to Ars Technica, the update provided "tons of fixes."
Depending on your viewpoint, it's either impressive how much Apple fixed or how much still needed fixing, considering this is the fifth maintenance update to OS X 10.5.
You might suppose that, given all of the hyperbole, after you updated to Mac OS X 10.5.5, you would easily notice at least a few of these improvements. "Not so!" claim many, if not most, Mac OS X users. These users report seeing not even one difference between 10.5.4 and 10.5.5.
How can this be? What's the explanation for this apparent paradox? Quite simple, really.....
To read more, click here:
http://www.macworld.com/article/135880/2008/10/1055_bugfixes.html
Users Cannot Purchase In eBay using Safari; eBay suggests Firefox
MacFixIt reports:
We previously reported newly emerging issues with eBay site functionality in Safari. The most prominent issue is one in which Safari users cannot purchase items, receiving the error message: "Your web browser may not be compatible with eBay's checkout. Please try again with Mozilla Firefox."
Dozens of users have now reported this issue.....
Per these reports, persistence is key. Keep trying the transaction, and it ay eventually go through.
Meanwhile, eBay technical support representatives are suggesting Firefox....
For the full report visit here:
http://www.macfixit.com/article.php?story=20081002234807664
Apple Threatens Lawsuit Over British Columbia Computer School's Logo
CTV British Columbia's Jina You reports:
A small Vancouver Island computer school is battling for its identity after computing giant Apple threatened to sue, arguing the two companies' logos are too similar.
Victoria School of Business denies the logos - both based on apples - are related, and says it's going to fight to keep its logo.....
The logo for Apple is recognizable worldwide - its eponymous apple has a stylized bite out of its right side. The company has been using the symbol for about 30 years.
Victoria Business School's apple logo has been around for only three years. But Gerhard says its design incorporates a mountain and has three bumps on top instead of the two used by Apple.
[Editor's note: What do you think? In my estimation, it is a bit disingenuous for the school to insist that their logo wasn't at least inspired by Apple's iconic logo, the stem bent the same direction. It may be impolitic, but Apple probably has a case. Ed.]
For the full report visit here:
http://tinyurl.com/3rjv9x
PC Mag: Biden v. Palin: The Tech Positions
PC Mag's Chloe Albanesius reports:
....What type of expertise does each bring to the table?....
With more than 30 years experience in the Senate, Biden has obviously had the opportunity to touch on more technology issues than Palin. He has positioned himself as an advocate for children's Internet safety and combating Web predators, while also drawing fire for some controversial stances on piracy and copyright issues.
Palin, meanwhile, has been at the helm of a state not exactly ripe with technology issues. As governor, and not a member of the legislature, her experience appears to be limited to evaluating tech-related projects included in the state budget, and vetoing or approving tech-related bills. She has signed a few tech measures into law, but her most notable contribution might be the numerous vetoes this year for school technology projects.
Biden is considered a friend to the recording industry, having sponsored several bills that would go after file-sharing networks hosting copyrighted or illegal material.
Last year, Biden also co-sponsored the Perform Act, which would require: rate parity among webcasters, cable providers, and satellite radio; a report from the Copyright Office that defines interactivity; and content protection to prevent stream ripping.....
At a 2002 hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Biden said "there is very little correlation between the punishment that flows from piracy of intellectual property and a similar punishment" for stealing physical goods from a store....
To read more, go to:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2331529,00.asp
Apple Shares Plunge After Jobs 'Heart Attack'
The Register's Cade Metz reports:
Apple shares fell as much as 5.4 per cent this morning after a report on CNN's "citizen journalist" web site said Steve Jobs had suffered a major heart attack.
According to Bloomberg, the computer maker/cult denied the report, and shares promptly rebounded. At last check, they sat at $104.51, up 4.4 per cent in trading on the NASDAQ exchange....
For the full report visit here:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/10/03/steve_jobs_heart_attack_rumor/
Securities Officials Probe Jobs Heart Attack Rumour
The Associated Press reports:
A CNN-owned website called iReport.com, which publishes reports written by ordinary citizens, said Friday it will give the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission information about the author of an item that claimed Apple CEO Steve Jobs had suffered a heart attack.
The early morning report, which Apple Inc. spokesman Steve Dowling said was not true, sent shares plummeting to their lowest point in a year. The stock recovered around the time the post was removed from iReport.com, but ended the day off three per cent at US$97.07 amid a broader market slide.
For the full report visit here:
http://tinyurl.com/4xpk35
Steve Jobs rumor: What can the SEC do?
Apple 2.0's Philip Elmer-DeWitt says:
Should investors take comfort in the news that the Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating "Johntw," the as-yet unidentified rumor mongerer who briefly drove Apple (AAPL) down nearly 10% Friday before Apple PR finally broke its silence and let it be known that Steve Jobs had not, in fact, suffered a heart attack?
Not necessarily.....
For the full commentary visit here:
http://tinyurl.com/4vxmr5
The Apple Of Modern Cars
mg.co.za's Sukasha Singh says:
Long before Apple Macintosh created the iPod, Macs were the undisputed preferred computers over the run-of-the-mill IBMs and Dells, especially for those in the publishing industry.
Apples have always been simpler, more powerful, more beautiful and obviously more expensive, so the company has never held a significant slice of the PC pie. But it did make Macs the most coveted of computers.....
With the advent of everything from the iPod to the iPhone, Apple has never been more fashionable. But the company hasn't neglected its core business and continues to make exceptional computers, much the way Aston Martin, despite the many changes in ownership, continues to make exceptional vehicles.
Sure, Astons are expensive and they're not always the fastest cars out there, but they are certainly the most beautiful, the most powerful and they evoke the most emotion......
Ultimately, people who have worked on Macs and PCs will tell you that PCs are more compatible with most of the software created by IT companies across the globe, but they will also grudgingly admit that Macs are the preferred choice, if only because they get the job done effortlessly.
The DBS is undoubtedly a supercar, but there are faster supercars out there, some of which are even slightly better than the DBS. However, much like Macs, Aston Martins are all about power, beauty and soul and I don't think I've ever come across a car that embodies those virtues as perfectly as the DBS does.
For the full commentary visit here:
http://www.mg.co.za/article/2008-10-03-the-apple-of-modern-cars
Apple surrenders the Pink (to Microsoft)
The Register's Cade Metz reports:
And so it has come to this: Microsoft has stooped so low as to filch Apple's codenames.
This week, Steve Ballmer reiterated that Redmond has no interest in building a Zune phone. Praise be. But he did say the company is prepping Zune software and services for the Windows Mobile platform, and according to sources whispering to ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley, this semi-secret endeavor is codenamed "Pink."
So, more than thirty years after stealing Apple's operating system, Microsoft has shamelessly stolen its operating system codename. Pink was the sobriquet of the ill-fated late-80s Apple OS project that eventually spun off into a joint Apple-IBM venture known as Taligent.
For the full report visit here:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/10/03/microsoft_pink/
(Real World) Speed Freak On Faster Hard Drives
pwrmac.com's Brian says:
I'm not the usual speed freak, and I actually buy Macs that are a few years old. My last machine was a G4 PowerBook I bought in 2006, and now I have a G5 tower I purchased in the beginning of this year. My Macs have to be fast and responsive. Although one might think a G5 tower from 2004 (a low end dual 1.8Ghz at that) wouldn't be able to even come close the performance of a lowly Core 2 Duo Mac Mini (This misconception promoted mainly by the GeekBench benchmark, which I feel is a horrible way to gauge performance…ah, a Blog for another day) they would be wrong. Yes, this requires some upgrading, and no, I'm not talking just about the much-suggested Ram upgrade (although it is important). A fast hard drive can make your machine as responsive as a new Mac, and responsiveness to me is what makes a computer fast. If your Mac boots in 46 seconds, launches Apps within seconds, executes core animations smoothly, and can handle 8+ applications without a hiccup, would you really want a new one?....
For the full commentary visit here:
http://www.pwrmac.com/2008/10/01/real-world-speed-freak
Getting the Most from Your G3 Mac
Low End Mac's Simon Royal reports:
I love G3 Macs, but I'm no fool. A machine in its original Apple-shipped state won't cut it in today's computing world - but with a few upgrades and additions you can easily get a little extra usage out of older Macs.
To read more, click here:
http://lowendmac.com/ed/royal/08sr/the-most-from-a-g3-mac.html
nVIDIA Announcement Date Moved - Graphics Chip For New MacBook Pro Coming?
MacSoda says that the day nVIDIA was slated to introduce a integrated graphics chip the new MacBook will use has been moved from September 30th to October 15th, and that the MacBook event was originally scheduled for September 29th, then was postponed to October 14th (I hadn't heard about any September 29 date having been set, but could have missed it). Anyway, MacSoda finds it hard to believe that the announcement wasn't moved because the MacBook event was moved, and infers this as further confirmation that the nVIDIA MCP7A-U chipset will be in the next MacBook.
For the full report visit here:
http://macsoda.com/2008/10/02/nvidia-event-moved-to-familiar-date/
Advice for SheepShaver, OS 9 on Intel Macs
MacWindows reports:
Michael Goodine of Emaculation.com is hosting new builds of the free open-source PowerPC emulator, SheepShaver, which can run Mac OS 9 on Intel Macs. Goodine responded to our reader reports of instability, and suggests trying the newer builds:
It's very neat to see a "special report" about SheepShaver on your site! I've noticed that the reactions are mixed regarding SheepShaver on the Intel Macs.....
For the full report visit here:
http://www.macwindows.com/OS9_on_Intel_Mac.html#100308
The Day My iPhotos Vanished
The LA Daily News's Steven Rosenberg reports:
After I gutted my iBook G4 laptop to replace its ailing hard drive, I thought my Macintosh troubles were over.
No such luck. In recent weeks, the easy-to-use iPhoto application lost its mind, literally speaking. All of us at home (even my 5-year-old) use iPhoto to pull images out of our digital cameras, then archive and organize those pictures.
Besides providing a camera interface, iPhoto creates a kind of database for your images, allowing you to search for them by date, make photo albums and do some basic photo editing.
One day after starting iPhoto, our 3,000-plus photos appeared to have vanished.
I knew they were there. I could see the photo-stuffed folders, but iPhoto would just hang with the message "loading photos ..." forever.......
Whenever I have Macintosh problems, the first place I turn is New York Times tech columnist David Pogue's excellent "Missing Manual" series of books (http://missingmanuals.com/).....
For the full report visit here:
http://www.dailynews.com/ci_10632845
Apple TV 2.2 update delivers HDTV shows, Genius support
AppleInsider reports:
Alongside iTunes 8.0.1 late Thursday evening, Apple also released Apple TV 2.2, a new version of its set-top-box software that delivers support for purchasing and downloading HD television shows as well as support for the new iTunes Genius feature.
In a support document that was briefly posted to its website (but since removed), Apple said the update also addressed a couple of security issues, such as unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution when viewing a maliciously crafted movie file. A similar issue having to do with malicious PICT image files was also said to have been fixed....
For the full report visit here:
http://tinyurl.com/4nblwu
Forget the Dock, Master The Menu Bar
CultofMac's Giles Turnbull reports:
I've never got on very well with the Dock, the app launcher Apple puts at the bottom of the screen. It does very little that I find useful, and many things that simply bug me. Thank goodness for the Command+Option+D shortcut that hides it out of the way. That's where my Dock spends most of its life — out of my sight.
That said, there are still some aspects of daily computing life that need to be kept close to hand. Things that I want access to, at a moment's notice, no matter what app I'm using. And things I want to use, briefly, without leaving that app.
And that's why I spend a lot of time investigating and trying out various Menu Bar widgets and applications. The Menu Bar is the mini dock at the top right of the screen where the system clock lives, plus other customizable widgets called Menu Bar apps.....
For the full commentary visit here:
http://cultofmac.com/opinion-forget-the-dock-master-the-menu-bar/3394
Older Mac Pros Toxic or Just Smelly?
TidBITS' Adam C. Engst says:
A TidBITS reader in France who wishes to remain anonymous has alerted us to a tempest brewing around older units of the Mac Pro line. Apparently, users noticed a strong smell emanating from the machines, particularly when they were new, and the French newspaper Liberation just published an article about the experiences of a lab researcher who reportedly analyzed the emissions and found volatile organic compounds, including benzene, a known carcinogen.
AppleCare representatives in France contacted by our reader confirmed the problem as affecting Mac Pros built before 2008 but refused to put it in writing. Apple spokesman Bill Evans told Macworld, "We have not found anything that supports this claim, but continue to investigate it for the customer."....
It's difficult to know what to suggest with regard to this issue. Strong smells coming from a computer aren't likely to be a good thing, although without careful analysis, it's impossible to know whether the compounds being emitted are actually toxic, and if they're being emitted in concentrations that could pose a health risk.
For the full commentary visit here:
http://db.tidbits.com/article/9795
PC Mag: Apple Argues That It's Not a Monopoly
Apple has asked the court hearing its suit against Psystar to toss out Psystar's counterclaim that Apple is in fact a monopoly, arguing that Psystar's own arguments acknowledge that fact.
The motion to dismiss, filed on Sept. 30, argues that Apple can not be considered a monopoly, based in part upon ads that Psystar and others have run characterizing the Apple Macintosh line as just one product in a sea of PCs.
If this is true, Apple argued, then the company should not be compelled to assist its competition by allowing what are essentially Apple clones to be sold.
To read more, go to:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2331585,00.asp
PC Mag: Music-Download Royalty Rates Left Unchanged
Fear not, iTunes fans. Rumors about the death of iTunes were a tad premature.
The Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) ruled Thursday that the royalty rate for permanent downloads, like those found via Apple's iTunes, will remain at 9.1 cents per download, according to an organization of music publishers.
The CRB also ruled that rates for physical CDs will be 9.1 cents while sellers of ringtones will be charged 24 cents per selection.
For each 99-cent song sold on iTunes, Apple hands over about 70 cents to the record companies. Those companies must give 9.1 cents, or a mechanical royalty rate, to songwriters, composers, and publishers.
"We're pleased with the CRB's decision to keep royalty rates stable," Apple said in a Thursday statement.
To read more, go to:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2704,2331598,00.asp
PC Mag: Saving Internet Radio
Passing the Webcaster Settlement Act of 2008 may help reconnect us with an old friend: the radio.
To read more, go to:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2331594,00.asp
PC Mag: Five Things Your Mac Won't Tell You
Did your Mac have you at "hello"? It can say (and do) a whole lot more than that-there's a lot of power hidden behind that friendly face.
To read more, go to:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2331478,00.asp
The Mac Night Owl: Is Apple Finally Learning How to Listen to You?
On quite a number of occasions, Steve Jobs has said that Apple listens to its customers. In fact, he’s mentioned some examples when it comes to new product features and changes. Surely, when he made some unbelievably flippant remarks about last year’s major price cut to the iPhone, that it was the price early adopters pay for technology, he got an earful. It was such an earful, in fact, that Apple decided then and there to give a $100 credit to those most impacted by the price reduction.
Here's the URL for today's commentary:
http://tinyurl.com/4wdx7y
Notes: You can also access our new RSS feed, available at:
http://www.macnightowl.com/rss
Or our new Atom feed at:
http://www.macnightowl.com/atom
The Tech Night Owl: Marginalizing the Mac or Just Plain Stupidity?
So I made my monthly appearance on columnist Craig Crossman’s nationally-syndicated radio show, Computer America, the other night, when he brought up an unfortunately typical example of a major hard drive manufacturer ignoring the Mac OS.
Here's the link to the story:
http://www.macnightowl.com/newsletter/2008/10/newsletter-issue-462/#stupidity
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
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
|
|
|
|
| |