Other Sites
Apple's Dramatic Notebook Sales Shift
Primate Labs Blog Mac Performance (January 2009)
Fix the Hinge! Users complaining of a loose hinge on Unibody MacBook Pros
New iMac "Almost Ready," May Stay Dual-core
Chip Complex Delaying Apple's New iMac Line, Says Analyst
Why the iMac is late
Apple equipping all Macs with iLife '09 for Tuesday launch
What Steve Jobs Knew About His Health
iWork Trojan reappears in Photoshop CS4 crack
Mac Malware Tide On The Rise
A History of the Color Classic
IBM, Apple, RISC, and the Roots of the PowerPC
New unibody 17-inch MacBook Pro shipping next week - report
Apple's Mac Growth A Standout In Ailing PC Market
Windows 7 May Halt Defections To The Mac
Why I love Windows 7, hate Linux, and think the Mac is lame
The Mac Night Owl: Is it Necessary to Revisit the Mac Malware Equation?
Apple's Dramatic Notebook Sales Shift
The Standard says:
Buried in Apple's sales figures for the recently concluded holiday quarter is an interesting statistic: The notebook line (MacBook, Air and MacBook Pro lines) exceeded 70 percent of Macintosh sales for the first time ever.....
MacBook sales records were smashed with a surprising 1.8 million units sold in that quarter. That's more than twice the quarterly figures from 2006.
For the full report visit here:
http://tinyurl.com/cxx83y
Primate Labs Blog Mac Performance (January 2009)
Primate Labs Blog has posted their latest omnibus comparison of Geekbench performance stats. generated from the user-submitted results in the Geekbench Result Browser.
This update includes the latest Apple hardware (in this case the MacBook, the MacBook Air, and the MacBook Pro Apple released in November). Unlike other updates, this update doesn't just present all of the Macs together in one large chart; it also splits the Macs into four different categories making the results easier to view and understand:
Pro Laptops (MacBook Pros, MacBook Airs, and PowerBooks)
Pro Desktops (Mac Pros and PowerMacs)
Consumer Laptops (iBooks and MacBooks)
Consumer Desktops (eMacs, iMacs, and Mac minis)
If you're unfamiliar with Geekbench and how it measures performance, a score of 1000 is the score a Power Mac G5 @ 1.6GHz would receive. Higher scores are better.
Also, keep in mind that Geekbench 2 only measures processor and memory performance which is why, for example, MacBook and MacBook Pro scores are so similar, despite both having radically different graphics adapters.....
You can check it out at:
http://www.primatelabs.ca/blog/2009/01/mac-performance-january-2009/
Fix the Hinge! Users complaining of a loose hinge on Unibody MacBook Pros
9To5Mac's Seth Weintraub reports:
....A group of people who have purchased Unibody MacBook Pros likes the rigidity of the old MacBook Pro hinges vs. the new one. So of course they started a petition and got it dugg to get attention put on the matter. It isn't clear what exactly Apple could do at this point except tighten some screws or use less lubricant. But we do know everyone will have an opinion on both sides of this matter.....
You can check it out at:
http://www.9to5mac.com/Fix-the-hinge
New iMac "Almost Ready," May Stay Dual-core
Electronista reports:
Apple is nearing the release of its redesigned iMac but may not stick with the quad-core processors rumored for the system, Kaufman Bros. senior analyst Shaw Wu says. Investigations within the supply chain suggest that Apple is "almost ready" to launch updated iMacs but is still determining whether it will use the low-power Core 2 Quads introduced just last week or else will use faster Core 2 Duos with extra cache, though it's not known whether these last chips would be desktop or mobile parts.....
For the full report visit here:
http://www.electronista.com/articles/09/01/26/kaufman.bros.on.new.imac/
Chip Complex Delaying Apple's New iMac Line, Says Analyst
Appleinsider's Zach Spear reports:
Apple's next-generation iMacs are being held up for business reasons and a minor technical obstacle, according to one Wall Street analyst.
"We wanted to give an update on the Mac business from what we are picking up from our latest supply chain checks," Kaufman Bros. analyst Shaw Wu wrote in a report to clients Monday. "While new the iMac appears to be almost ready for primetime, what is holding it up appears to be business reasons and a potential small technical hurdle."
For the full report visit here:
http://tinyurl.com/cnn5af
Why the iMac is late
Apple 2.0's Philip Elmer-DeWitt says:
Where was the new iMac that Apple watchers expected Steve Jobs - or rather, Phil Schiller - to unveil at Macworld?
In a report to clients issued Monday, Kaufman Bros.' analyst Shaw Wu says it will be out before March, or June at the latest, and he offers three reasons that the refresh of Apple's best-selling desktop machine is running behind schedule.....
You can check it out at:
http://tinyurl.com/caeu3j
Apple equipping all Macs with iLife '09 for Tuesday launch
Appleinsider's Katie Marsal reports:
Apple will officially launch iLife '09 this Tuesday and is in the process of making sure that each new Mac that leaves its retail or online stores will include a copy of the new digital lifestyle software.
As part of the launch procedures, Apple retail stores nationwide will undergo a refresh this week, complete with iLife '09 signage....
For the full report visit here:
http://tinyurl.com/d26p55
What Steve Jobs Knew About His Health
Forbes' Rebecca Buckman reports:
Steve Jobs is famous at Apple for controlling every detail of every process--right down to demanding what the internal wiring of devices should look like. Is there a chance that he has handled the treatment of his own illness the same way?
Jobs' recent decision to take a six-month medical leave, announced Jan. 14, raised questions about whether his pancreatic cancer has recurred - and particularly what treatment he has already received, doctors say.
Most specialists concur about the types of treatments that are typical for different kinds of pancreatic tumors, though every tumor is obviously unique. Patients, however, don't always agree....
For the full report visit here:
http://tinyurl.com/bw8kls
iWork Trojan reappears in Photoshop CS4 crack
ITWire's Stephen Withers reports:
A variant of the iWorkServices Trojan for Mac OS X that appeared last week is now circulating with an unauthorised copy of Adobe Photoshop CS4.
The original iServices Trojan (aka iWorkServices, iWorkServ or iWorkS) showed up last week inside an otherwise normal - though unauthorised - iWork '09 installer that someone made available via BitTorrent.....
Over the weekend, Intego discovered a second version of iServices - understandably tagged iServices.B - bundled with an unauthorised distribution of Adobe Photoshop CS4.
This time, the actual installer is clean. The Trojan is the serial number cracker that accompanies it.
For the full report visit here:
http://www.itwire.com/content/view/22865/1151/
Mac Malware Tide On The Rise
The Register's Dan Goodin reports:
Less than a week after researchers spotted new malware targeting naive Mac users, two additional titles have been spotted.
Security mavens at Mac anti-virus provider Intego say Trojan-horse software dubbed OSX.Trojan.iServices.B hitches a ride on pirated copies of Adobe Photoshop CS4 for Mac that are being distributed in warez channels. A program used to generate a valid serial number to unlock the Adobe app installs a backdoor on machines that makes them part of a botnet.
The discovery comes four days after Intego warned of a trojan that piggybacked off illicit copies of Apple's iWork 09 productivity suite....
To read more, click here.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/01/26/more_mac_malware/
A History of the Color Classic
Low End Mac's Tom Hormby says:
The Color Classic has been lauded by many Mac faithful as what the original Macintosh should have been. The computer was made available to the general public on February 10, 1993, and was received well by reviewers.
Customers were not so accepting of the machine's serious design flaws, but for some collectors, the Color Classic is perfect.....
Nearing the ten year anniversary of the Lisa, Apple was eager to prove its ability to produce a thoughtfully designed computer aimed squarely at consumers at a low price (it eventually was priced at $1,400, well below Apple's other color models).
Chief among the new design features was the introduction of feet - the computer actually seemed to float above the desktop, perched atop four curved feet. The feet first appeared on the Color Classic and made their way into most of the Quadras and Power Macs until 1996.
To read more, click here.
http://lowendmac.com/orchard/05/mac-color-classic-history.html
IBM, Apple, RISC, and the Roots of the PowerPC
Low End Mac's Tom Hormby says:
The story of the PowerPC began in the early seventies when John Cocke and his team at IBM began designing one of the earliest RISC processors, the 801. By the mid-seventies, it was believed that microprocessors had become as complex and feature rich as they ever would, so further advances would have to come in the form of miniaturization or fundamental shifts in thinking about processor design.
John Cocke studied several processor designs of the day and realized that the more complex commands in ordinary processors were rarely used and only added complexity to the chip, which served to slow it down. As a result of eliminating seldom used instructions, the IBM 801 had slightly less than a hundred commands, while Intel's 8086 had over 400.....
Apple reached the same conclusions about RISC design that IBM had in the mid-seventies. The Motorola 68000 processor Apple used in its Macintosh computers was beginning to show its age. The promised revision to the line, the 68040, was pushed back further and further, and Apple had little confidence that Motorola would be able to consistently beat the produce processors competitive with the next generation x86 processors....
Even before NeXT started creating NeXTstep, Apple was creating an operating system based on the microkernel Mach, named Pink....
On July 3, 1991, IBM offered to help Apple finish Pink, its object oriented operating system for Jaguar, if Apple would adopt the PowerPC processor. Motorola was brought in to help manufacture the new processors, and the deal was sealed, creating the Apple-IBM-Motorola (AIM) alliance.
To read more, click here.
http://lowendmac.com/orchard/05/powerpc-origin-ibm-apple.html
New unibody 17-inch MacBook Pro shipping next week - report
MacDailyNews reports:
Contrary to some reports of a March shipping date for Apple's new 17-inch MacBook Pro, Apple's online U.S. Store has been updated to show units ordered today will ship in "7-10 business days."
That would mean users in the U.S. could get Apple's new flagship portable Mac in their hot little hands as soon as next week!....
For the full report visit here:
http://tinyurl.com/au9j6e
Apple's Mac Growth A Standout In Ailing PC Market
Appleinsider's Prince McLean reports:
With unit growth and revenues that beat the Street's expectations, Apple's resilience in the face of global economic woes is great news for its investors, but bad news for competitors, according to a note Connexiti issued by supply chain analyst Richard Davenport....
Apple reported sales of 2.52 million Macs in the final quarter of 2008 (the company's fiscal 2009 Q1), down 3% from the previous September quarter but up 9% from the year ago winter quarter. According to IDC, the worldwide PC market actually shrank slightly over the past year, making Apple's 9% growth, and its ability to once again beat analyst's expectations, a standout success.
For the full report visit here:
http://tinyurl.com/d5d7e4
Windows 7 May Halt Defections To The Mac
blogs.chron.com/techblog says:
The Windows 7 beta from Microsoft continues to generate lots of positive buzz. In fact, the word of mouth reaction is almost the polar opposite of Vista's. When it's finally released, hopefully sometime this year, it may yet turn Microsoft into the Comeback Kid of software.....
....It may halt defections to the Mac. As you know, I'm all about cross-platform computing, and I've been urging Windows users who are interested in switching to Apple's Macintosh to take the plunge. But now, I'm telling Windows users who aren't happy with XP or Vista to look at Windows 7 before switching. Yeah, it's that good, and frankly, if Apple is counting on Windows switchers to grow its market share, then Steve Jobs & Co. may have a problem on their hands.....
For the full commentary visit here:
http://tinyurl.com/bljcpx
Why I love Windows 7, hate Linux, and think the Mac is lame
ZNet's Michael Krigsman says:
I've been involved with Windows, Linux, and Macs since the early days. After more than 20 years wandering the operating system landscape with hopes and dreams, I've finally settled on a platform with no regrets: Windows 7.....
Linux is a conundrum. Sleek and powerful, yet nearly impenetrable for most users, the penguin faces an identity crisis.
Some geekier-than-thou proponents use deep knowledge of Linux as a calling card for personal credibility and evidence they have transcended technology heights unavailable to the common man or woman. Then, there's Ubuntu, where even the name has a special meaning intended to uplift the ordinary man.....
Next we come to the Apple Macintosh....
Although Windows users are practical folk and Linux devotees enjoy their technical ivory tower, Macintosh adherents tend to be frivolous time-wasters dazzled by cheap sensory effects. How else do you explain those cute little doodads that dominate the Macintosh user interface?.....
Now, for Windows 7 and why it's great....
For the full commentary visit here:
http://blogs.zdnet.com/projectfailures/?p=1235
The Mac Night Owl: Is it Necessary to Revisit the Mac Malware Equation?
In recent days, there have been reports of new Mac Trojan Horse threats, and you have to wonder whether Apple's continued growth will come at the expense of making the platform a serious target for Internet criminals. Or at least that's what the tech media has been saying for several years now, although it hasn't quite come to pass.
Here's the URL for today's commentary:
http://tinyurl.com/c3dd5a
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
Tags: News ď Tech-Industry ď
