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Best Buy Deal Makes Apple A Best Buy
Reaching Beyond Apple's Core
Help! My MacBook goes moo
New Mac Initially A Keeper
Apple MacBook Pro - Not Worth the Wait - Reviewer
VMWare hints at Mac plans
eWeek: Opera 9 is Music to eWEEK Labs' Ears
The Mac Night Owl: The Leopard Report: Time to Fix the Interface for Real?
eWeek: Microsoft Security Pricing: Predatory or Correctional?
Best Buy Deal Makes Apple A Best Buy
Forbes' Mary Crane says:
The debut of Mac computers in Best Buy stores this quarter could be a meaningful growth opportunity for Apple in the second half of the year and into 2007, according to a report from Morgan Stanley.
If Apple successfully entered into a full distribution partnership with Best Buy worth 100,000 units, Apple could gain, at minimum, $160 million in revenue, an additional 2 cents per share annually, Runkie forecasted.
For the full report visit here:
http://www.forbes.com/2006/06/22/apple-best-buy-0622markets07.html?partner=yahootix
Reaching Beyond Apple's Core
Motley Fool's Alyce Lomax says:
Talk about a blast from the past. Best Buy is currently experimenting with the concept of selling a wide variety of Apple's Macintosh computers in its stores for the first time since 1998. Whether this development will be "halo" or "hollow" for Apple remains to be seen.
True enough, Best Buy occasionally sells Macs in some of its stores already, with a wider selection on its website (and it already sells iPods and iPod accessories). The difference here is that it may consider peddling a wider selection of Macs (maybe even the full line) in more of its stores. The test currently only applies to seven Best Buy stores in Southern California and it has been going on for four weeks; Best Buy said at its annual shareholders' meeting that it's testing whether this would be a profitable move. The sheer fact that Best Buy is interested may imply that the retailer feels there is untapped demand for the machines.
For the full report visit here:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/fool/20060622/bs_fool_fool/115100202914
Help! My MacBook goes moo
The Inquirer's Nick Farrell says:
There is a bit of controversy in MacLand about Apple's incredible mooing lap-top.
It appears that, in some MacBooks, the fan goes on and off continuously in a vain attempt to keep the device from getting too hot.
Some Mac heads have picturesquely described the sound as a cow going, "Moo," on the way to he milking shed. The less poetic say it is the sound of a fan on its way out and a computer about to explode.
For the full commentary visit here:
http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=32582
New Mac Initially A Keeper
The Washington Times On Computers column's Mark Kellner reports:
After about 84 hours with Apple Computer's new MacBook, whose high-end version I'm testing, my initial verdict is positive. This is one powerful, affordable Mac portable.
Some will complain about heat dissipation -- yes, it's warm; that's why there are products such as LapWorks' Laptop Desk. However, even after running for a full business day, the MacBook hasn't faltered yet......
Others may report problems with the Wi-Fi antenna, and such problems might yet surface in my testing, which will last about a month. However, in "war drives" around my neighborhood, and at home, the Wi-Fi worked quite well.
Its 13-inch (diagonal) screen is of the glossy variety; no "matte" version is available. Upgrading the RAM to 2 gigabytes would seem to be a good idea, even if Apple will charge another $400 for that (you can find less-expensive RAM upgrades at companies such as Crucial Technology, http://www.crucial.com ).....
....the MacBook can be an intoxicating device that will invite you to make the most of it. You will want to run more than one program at a time -- you will want to use it to edit video clips, perhaps; certainly for work with digital photos, and even desktop publishing on the fly. I have the feeling this screen will be great for watching DVDs on the road.
For the full review visit here:
http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2006/06/20/1690643.htm
Apple MacBook Pro - Not Worth the Wait - Reviewer
ForbesOnTech's Jim Forbes reports:
I've been playing with a new portable I've been anxiously awaiting for a some time. I have really mixed feelings about this machine but i want to carefully think about what I'm going to say.
First, in my world, no manufacturer gets a free pass. Either a notebook measures up to mainstream standards or it doesn't.....
The notebook is the 15-inch screen version of the MacBook Pro. I waited a long time for this system and read a lot of hype-laden reviews. My take is that i expected more, a lot more, from Apple, and they delivered a lot less than they should have.....
The base level performance is great. It opens and recalcs my test spreadsheet lightning fast. it has outstanding graphics performance, It's keyboard has a nice feel and is comfortable to use for long periods of time....
.....Tragically, the MacBook Portable has one of the weakest 802.11 implementations I've ever seen on a mainstream notebook. And this is incredibly annoying. I put the Mac Portable right beside my trusted ThinkPad to test WiFi reception. At 180 feet from my access point, the ThinkPad holds the signal for hour after hour. The MacBook Pro is another story. It has grave difficulty holding its connection and god forbid you should need to connect from afar with poorly charged battery.
But What really annoys me is an Apple design decision. The MacBook Pro does not come standard with an internal modem. Hello, Apple, there are still a lot of times when we mortals still connect to the mother ship using dial-up. And Apple wants you to buy an optional near $50 USB dongle to connect using a phone network. Grab a clue, Apple and jump into reality!
I need dial-up connectivity. Like right now! I'm in a hotel Vegas not far from a public WiFi point that I can't stay attached to and this machine doesn't have a modem. I think this is a detestable design decision and I just can't recommend the MacBook Pro (or any Macintosh portable) that doesn't include this basic connection. Seriously!....
[Editor's note: I wouldn't be quite that harsh (although maybe I should) but I'm glad to see others protesting Apple's stupid, pseudo-elitist decision to remove internal modems. Most of the world and even some 50% of US Internet users still depend on dial-up. I would have broadband if it were available (other than via astronomically expensive satellite services) where I live and work, but it isn't, and may not be for years to come yet. But even broadband users may need to send or receive a fax from time to time. And these are - hello - PORTABLE computers that many users will take on the road and encounter situations like the one Jim Forbes described above, or need to connect in places where no wifi is available. The PC competition still has internal modems. Makes you wonder..... I can live without an iSight camera, but I can't live without a modem. CM]
And while I'm on a tear, the MacBook Pro is uncomfortably hot.
For Jim Forbes' full review visit here:
http://forbesontech.typepad.com/my_weblog/2006/06/apple_macbook_p.html
VMWare hints at Mac plans
Macworld UK's Jonny Evans reports:
Apple's move to Intel processors in its Macintosh computers continues to bear fruit - this time market-leading OS virtualisation company VMWare has hinted at future Mac plans.
The news follows Apple's revelation of its Boot Camp software, which allows users to set Intel Macs to boot up in both Windows and Mac OS. It also follows hot on the heels of the recent release of Parallels software, which lets users boot multiple operating systems within Mac OS X.
For the full report visit here:
http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/index.cfm?RSS&NewsID=15035
eWeek: Opera 9 is Music to eWEEK Labs' Ears
Review: Opera Software's browser continues to innovate, with enviable search customization and improvements to management and configuration options.
Read more at:
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1980256,00.asp
The Mac Night Owl: The Leopard Report: Time to Fix the Interface for Real?
One of the things often criticized amount Mac OS X is the large number of interface inconsistencies. You have brushed metal, a so-called platinum look, and a variation or two. It may seem as if the Finder and Mail were designed by different teams for different systems.
Here's the URL for today's commentary:
http://www.macnightowl.com/2006/06/23/the-leopard-report-time-to-fix-the-interface-for-real/
Notes: You can also access our new RSS feed, available at:
http://www.macnightowl.com/rss
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http://www.macnightowl.com/atom
eWeek: Microsoft Security Pricing: Predatory or Correctional?
News Analysis: Allegations of "predatory pricing" are beginning to swirl around Microsoft's emergence as a player in the security software space. Is Redmond stifling competition or helping to correct an overpriced sector?
Read more at:
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1979952,00.asp
Charles W. Moore
Tags: News ď Tech-Industry ď
