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Analyst: Apple decline 'overdone'
Pricey Apples Hold 20 Percent of Retail Notebook Sales and 35 Percent of Revenue
Apple Still Better Positioned Than Most, Firm Says
Apple Knows about the Fumes/Smelling Issue Affecting Mac Pro
Mac Pros Emitting Benzene?
How Many Terabytes Can You Fit On A 2.5-Inch Hard Drive?
Apple's Digital Music Showdown
Would Apple really shutter iTunes? Unlikely
48 Days Later: Apple's Valuation Drops 37%
Toshiba To Ship 256GB Solid-state Drives In October
Toshiba Demos Notebook With Super-charge Ion Battery
Toshiba Shows Prototype Fast-charging Laptop Battery
Apple Innovation Includes Exploiting Existing Technologies Others Ignore
What Is a Low-End Mac?
Apple Condemns Filevaulters To Seventh Circle Of Safari Hell
Why You Don't Need A Utility To Manage Mac Files
Analyst: Apple decline 'overdone'
Bloomberg News Service reports:
Apple Inc.'s 18 percent share decline Monday was "overdone,'' and the maker of the iPhone and Macintosh computer may rebound to $145 in the "intermediate term,'' according to Goldman Sachs Group Inc.
The shares rose 3.2 percent to $108.65 in early trading in New York. Apple, the best-performing technology stock last year, fell $22.98 to $105.26 Monday on the Nasdaq Stock Market....
Apple may meet Goldman's estimates for Macintosh sales and beat its iPhone forecasts, Goldman analysts led by New York-based David Bailey wrote in a note.
For the full report visit here:
http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080930/BUSINESS/80930010
Pricey Apples Hold 20 Percent of Retail Notebook Sales and 35 Percent of Revenue
DailyTech's Jason Mick reports:
Good news for Apple in terms of sales is offset by a pummeling on the stock market....
In the latest NPD sales info, Windows PCs had a strong 80 percent unit share at online and brick-and-mortar retail stores in June and July. However, despite having less than 20 percent unit share (some units were netbooks running Linux distros), Apple managed to make over 35 percent of the revenue share - over 1 in 3 dollars spent on computers. Apple may not be beating Windows in sales, but it is making a lot of money.
Notebooks are the biggest sales category according to the latest report, with unit sales expected to eclipse 148.2 million this year, says research firm IDC. Year-to-year growth rates of notebooks were 37.2 percent and an impressive 44.7 percent outside the United States.
For the full report visit here:
http://tinyurl.com/3ojlnv
Apple Still Better Positioned Than Most, Firm Says
Appleinsider's Katie Marsal reports:
Even as stocks melted down on Monday and fears of tough recession set in, analysts at Piper Jaffray held strong to their Buy rating on shares of Apple, saying the company remains the best positioned amongst its peers to weather the economic storm.
"We recognize investors do not see light at the end of the tunnel as market fears appear to be outweighing fundamental analysis," analyst Gene Munster wrote in a note to clients as Apple shares slid nearly 18 percent to a 52-week low of $105.26.
For his part, however, Munster remains confident in his outlook for the Cupertino-based company and offered a number of supporting arguments.
For the full report visit here:
http://tinyurl.com/4bgvvs
Apple Knows about the Fumes/Smelling Issue Affecting Mac Pro
HardMac's Lionel reports:
Hereafter is a report from one of our forum contributors who contacted Apple Care following our news about irritating or weird smelling/fumes originating from some Mac Pro.
I just called Apple Care, and they told me that they know about the reported issues affecting the Mac Pro. They added that only Mac Pro manufactured in 2007 are subjects to such issues, and my Mac Pro built in early 2008 would not be affected.
When I asked to get an official written statement, I had to hold on for 40 minutes while Apple Care representative was asking to his hierarchy if such information could be sent. I finally ended up with Apple Customer service that refused to send me a written statement about this issue....
For the full report visit here:
http://www.hardmac.com/news/2008-09-30/#8940
Mac Pros Emitting Benzene?
The Apple Core's Jason D. O'Grady says:
Toxic Mac Pro's emitting benzene? Mac Pro owners, listen up.
A french newspaper Liberation.fr has published a report (English translation) stating that Mac Pro owners run the risk of getting diseases as dangerous as leukemia (blood cancer) simply by using their computer. The newspaper was warned by a national agency scientist that the smell (already detected by many Mac Pro users on Apple forums) is actually toxic, composed of several toxins, including benzene.
An Apple Core reader requesting anonymity, sends the following details:
Here's a proof that the smell problem was previously known, check this page......
You can check it out at:
http://blogs.zdnet.com/Apple/?p=2319
How Many Terabytes Can You Fit On A 2.5-Inch Hard Drive?
The Register's Chris Mellor reports:
Can we expect 2.5TB 2.5-inch hard drives and 5TB 3.5-inch drives by 2012? It seems realistic if the claims of hard disk drive (HDD) toolmaker MII, Hitachi GST, and others are realised.
To reach these levels, platter areal density needs to increase and read/write head capabilities also need to improve. Current areal density mass production drives are in the 250Gbit/sq in areal density area, but best practices are much higher.
Toshiba has a 1.8-inch drive with 250GB from one platter and two heads - that's 125GB/platter surface and an areal density of 378.8 Gbit per square inch. Seagate has a generation 6 Momentus 2.5-inch drive rated at 500GB, using 2 double-sided platters with 125GB/surface and a Seagate-claimed areal density of 394Gbytes/sq in. This should probably be 394Gbit/sq in.
Let's say current best areal density practice in production HDDs is 378-394Gbit/sq in with 4th generation perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) technology.
Areal density improvements
The PMR problem is that the technology is running out of steam and cannot continue delivering 50 to 100 per cent or more annual increases in areal density. People can't see it progressing beyond 1Tbit/sq in, and it may not even attain that.
For the full report visit here:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/09/30/hdd_areal_density_improvements/
Apple's Digital Music Showdown
Fortune's Devin Leonard reports:
For five years, Apple's iTunes Music Store has been the Internet's most successful music store. But as music publishers have sought a higher share of its proceeds, Apple has threatened to shutter iTunes.
The Copyright Royalty Board in Washington, D.C. is expected to rule Thursday on a request by the National Music Publishers' Association to increase royalty rates paid to its members on songs purchased from online music stores like iTunes. The publishers association wants rates raised from 9 cents to 15 cents a track - a 66% hike.
Apple declined to discuss the board's pending decision or its previous threat to shut down iTunes. But it adamantly opposes the publishers' request. In a statement submitted to the board last year, iTunes vice president Eddy Cue said Apple might close its download store rather than raise its 99 cents a song price or absorb the higher royalty costs.
"If the [iTunes music store] was forced to absorb any increase in the ... royalty rate, the result would be to significantly increase the likelihood of the store operating at a financial loss - which is no alternative at all," Cue wrote. "Apple has repeatedly made it clear that it is in this business to make money, and most likely would not continue to operate [the iTunes music store] if it were no longer possible to do so profitably."
For the full report visit here:
http://money.cnn.com/2008/09/30/technology/itunesthreat.fortune/index.htm
Would Apple really shutter iTunes? Unlikely
CNET's Greg Sandoval says:
Apple did indeed say that if it couldn't make a profit, it "most likely" will not continue operate iTunes......
Fortune magazine published a bombshell of a story on Tuesday by reporting that Apple once threatened to close iTunes if forced to pay higher royalties for music. A more careful reading of Cue's statement shows that it was more of a veiled threat. Regardless, is it possible that Apple could shutter iTunes?
Anything is possible but is it likely? No. Here's why.....
For the full commentary visit here:
http://tinyurl.com/4bf5xm
48 Days Later: Apple's Valuation Drops 37%
eWeek reports:
Not since September 2000 has Apple fallen so hard from the tree. On Aug. 13, Apple's market capitalization topped Google, at $158.84 billion. Now, 48 days later, market cap is $100.69 billion.....
What a way for Apple to close the quarter in which it released iPhone 3G and where the future looked so bright CEO Steve Jobs had to wear shades.
For the full commentary visit here:
http://tinyurl.com/4d827n
Toshiba To Ship 256GB Solid-state Drives In October
IDG News Service's Sumner Lemon reports:
Toshiba will ship a 256GB solid-state drive for laptops next month, likely beating rival Samsung Electronics to market in their race to offer high-capacity drives.
Toshiba showed off a 2.5-inch version of the 256GB SSD at the Ceatec exhibition being held in Chiba, Japan....
Based on multi-level cell (MLC) flash memory chips and designed for laptops, the 256GB SSD uses a 3Gbps (bits per second) SATA-2 interface. The drive can read up to 120MB of data per second and writes up to 70MB per second, Toshiba said.
For the full report visit here:
http://www.macworld.com/article/135810/2008/09/toshiba_ssd.html
Toshiba Demos Notebook With Super-charge Ion Battery
EE Times' Yoichiro Hata reports:
Toshiba Corp. showed off at Ceatac Japan here a new notebook computer and an electric bicycle, both featuring its Super Charge ion battery called SCiB.
Toshiba claims that its new SCiB-equipped notebook PC is capable of recharging up to 90 percent of full capacity in 10 minutes.
The recharge speed of the new SCiB module demonstrated here appears to be six times faster than that of the original SCiB battery technology.
Toshiba used a new negative electrode material in its SCiB. Rather than carbon, it uses Li4Ti5012 (lithium titanate) in the new battery, resulting in a shorter recharge time and an improved recharge lifecycle, according to the company.
For example, the SCiB's recharge lifecycle has been improved to 6,000 times, compared to previously possible 500 times.
Further, the SCiB technology provides highly reliable rechargeable performance, even at extreme temperatures.
For the full report visit here:
http://www.eetimes.com/news/latest/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=210604693
Toshiba Shows Prototype Fast-charging Laptop Battery
IDG News Service's Sumner Lemon reports:
Toshiba showed off a prototype of its fast-charging SCiB battery designed for laptops on Tuesday, but said the technology is still a ways off from making its way into computers.
SCiB, or Super Charge Ion Batteries, are designed to recharge to 90 percent capacity within 10 minutes, and will last longer and endure more recharge cycles than current lithium-ion batteries....
SCiB are also safer and will not explode when crushed, as lithium batteries may, Toshiba said....
For the full report visit here:
http://www.macworld.com/article/135809/2008/09/battery.html
Apple Innovation Includes Exploiting Existing Technologies Others Ignore
Low End Mac's Alan Zisman says:
Harken back to mid-2004. Apple, announcing features of its upcoming OS X 10.4 "Tiger", festooned its developers' conference auditorium with banners reading "Redmond, start your photocopiers." The not-so-subtle message: Apple innovates, Microsoft, mired in delays getting what would be Windows Vista to market, copies.
Like most modern myths, reality is more nuanced. Take Apple's August 15 ship date to celebrate the iMac's 10th anniversary. The original iMac was an egg-shaped blue-and-white one-piece computer that looked unlike any previous desktop computer. Up until then, computers - both Macs and PCs - came in beige cases with separate beige monitors.
And unlike other desktops - both Macs and PCs - the iMac lacked a floppy disk drive and used USB to connect to keyboard, mouse, and printer. Initial reaction from the media and many members of the public was puzzlement. No floppy drive? And were there any printers, scanners, or other devices that could connect to those USB ports?
Apple innovation, right?
In fact, USB was developed by Intel. It, along with Microsoft, had been pushing PC makers to use it in place of parallel and serial ports, ISA slots, and keyboard and mouse connectors dating back to IBM's 1983 AT.
For the full commentary visit here:
http://lowendmac.com/zisman/08az/apple-innovation.html
What Is a Low-End Mac?
Low End Mac's Simon Royal says:
I've been an avid reader of Low End Mac for a number of years and have recently shown my appreciation and become a writer. But what exactly is a low-end Mac?
Different people have different ideas.
I have owned a wide range of Macs - from ancient LCs and pre-G3 PowerBooks to G4 eMacs and Intel iMacs - and used them all to their maximum potential before moving on to a higher machine.
There are some Mac users who will use nothing but the latest hardware, and even my original Intel iMac (now nearly three years old) would fit into their idea of a low-end Mac. There are others who still use System 7 on a daily basis.
As much as I love old Macs, for my everyday use a Mac has to run Mac OS X 10.4 "Tiger", so this limits me to at least a G3.
A lot of the time we upgrade to newer machines because we feel we have to. We are told we need to. However, most of these Macs have many more years of usage left in them. I guess this is the whole premise of Low End Mac, for those users who want to get the most and get the best out of their aging machines. [Editor's note: I just set a nephew up with an $30 400 MHz G3 iMac with Mac OS X 10.3.9, and he's quite happy with it. My production machine at Low End Mac headquarters is a six-year-old dual 1 GHz Power Mac G4 with Tiger. We try to live the Low End Mac philosophy, not just preach it. dk]
For the full commentary visit here:
http://lowendmac.com/ed/royal/08sr/what-is-a-low-end-mac.html
Apple Condemns Filevaulters To Seventh Circle Of Safari Hell
The Register's Cade Metz reports:
A Reg journo was bemused this morning when he rebooted his Mac and the machine decided that Safari - not Opera - should be his default web browser.
Apple has a habit of forcing its second rate browser down the gullets of unsuspecting web surfers. But this seemed beyond the pale.
The culprit, our journo discovered, was Apple's FileVault, a file encryption tool bundled with the Mac OS. When FileVault was switched on, the OS made Safari the default browser every time the machine rebooted. When it was switched off, all was fine.
For the full report visit here:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/09/30/apple_file_vault_bug/
Why You Don't Need A Utility To Manage Mac Files
Mac360's Ron McElfresh says:
Macs of the 21st century are loaded with files. Hundreds of thousands of files.
I just did a count on my Mac. There's over 1.3-million files. Music. Video clips. Movies. Games. Digital photos. Hundreds of utilities and applications. It adds up.
What's the best utility to manage the files on your Mac? Nothing. That's right. Nothing. Yes, there are dozens of tools to help, few that actually, many that don't....
For the full commentary visit here:
http://tinyurl.com/53o3nv
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