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Apple Laptop Has Looks and Brains
• Ars Tecnica Reviews MacBook Pro
• MacBook Pro Offers Promising Start to Era Of Intel-Powered Apple
• Canadian Government Lobbied To Enact Tougher Music Copyright Laws
• iTunes' Long March To Market Share
• Flamebait: Apple's Saviour Could Cast Spell Over Hollywood
• Setting Up A Modem For Faxing In Mac OS X 10.4
• Is DC The Power To Solve Heat Problems?
• The Mac NIght Owl: The Apple Whining Report
• The Mac Night Owl: New Apple Hardware: Please Don't Annoy Me with Facts!
• Security Scares Mount For Macintosh Users
Apple Laptop Has Looks and Brains
The New York Times' David Pogue says:
Remember the famous five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance? if you're a fan of the macintosh computer, meet the five stages of switching to Apple's new laptop: lust, anticipation, delight, dismay and waiting.
Ordinarily, it's not really news when a computer company introduces a new laptop model. You don't see newspaper headlines blaring, "Gateway's New P32-XC5 Adds Faster Processor, Third U.S.B. Port."
But the new Apple MacBook Pro ($2,000 and up) is a different story. Although it looks nearly identical to the company's existing 15-inch PowerBook, something radical is going on under the hood.....
Apple calls the MacBook "the finest laptop in the world." In truth, a more accurate description would be "the finest laptop in the world, with a small serving of disappointment on the side."
For the full report visit here:
http://www.gadsdentimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060302/ZNYT05/603020368/1011
Ars Tecnica Reviews MacBook Pro
Ars Tecnica's Jacqui Cheng has posted a long (seven pages) review of the MacBook Pro:
The first generation of MacBook Pros are obviously meant to be the next step after the last model of G4 PowerBook, the 1.67GHz G4 aluminum PowerBook that was announced in October of 2005, a mere three months prior to the official unveiling of the MacBook Pro. Alas, the low-end MacBook Pro was originally meant to also be 1.67GHz (albeit faster because of the dual core chip), but even with the last-minute speed bump, the MacBook Pro is near identical in dimensions to its G4 predecessor in many ways. There are a few very subtle differences.
The MacBook Pro is 0.1 inches deeper, 0.4 inches wider, 0.1 inches thinner, and exactly the same weight as the 15" Aluminum PowerBook G4. An 0.4 inch width difference is a seemingly insignificant yet important detail to make note of, as it makes squeezing the MacBook Pro into previously-owned sleeves, bags, and accessories made for other 15" Apple notebooks something like desperately trying to zip up that pair of tight high school jeans while laying on your back and holding your breath—it may technically "fit" but, it doesn't quite, if you know what I mean.
As a proud longtime owner of a 15-inch G4 PowerBook up until about six months ago, I had collected a number of these accessories (not the least of which being my oh-so-trendy Timbuk2 Commuter bag, specifically made for the 15" Apple notebook and bought at an Apple Retail Store) and had kept them around in anticipation of new PowerBooks, er, MacBook Pros, around the corner. Attempting to slip my MacBook Pro into the built-in sleeve in my Timbuk2 bag as I was running off to work this morning was, to put it politely, rather snug. I'm still not sure how I feel about this.
"Honey, that sleeve does NOT make your butt look fat!".....
For the full review visit here:
http://arstechnica.com/reviews/hardware/macbookpro.ars
MacBook Pro Offers Promising Start to Era Of Intel-Powered Apple
The Wall Street Journal's Walter S. Mossberg says:
I am writing these words on a sleek, fast laptop computer powered by an Intel processor. But unlike the vast majority of Intel-powered laptops, this machine isn't running Microsoft Windows. It's the latest Macintosh laptop from Apple Computer, and the first Apple portable to run on Intel processors. Like all Apple computers, it uses the company's excellent Mac OS X operating system instead of Windows.
The new laptop, called a MacBook Pro, is the successor to Apple's PowerBook models, and at first glance, it looks just like a PowerBook. But the MacBook Pro is quite different, and not merely because it uses a modern, dual-core Intel chip instead of the aging G4 processor its predecessor used.
I've been testing the MacBook Pro and comparing it to both a late-model PowerBook and a roughly similar Windows laptop, the new H-P Pavilion dv5000t. All three machines have 15-inch-wide screen displays.
My verdict: The MacBook Pro is better than the PowerBook and better than the H-P, though it has some drawbacks. It is faster than previous Apple laptops, but the speedup isn't as great as Apple's claims suggest. At a starting price of $1,999, the same as the PowerBook it replaces, the MacBook Pro costs more than the H-P. But in my opinion, the price premium is more than justified by its superior design and features.
For the full review visit here:
http://ptech.wsj.com/ptech.html
Canadian Government Lobbied To Enact Tougher Music Copyright Laws
The Canadian Press reports:
Warning that Canada is lagging behind in the digital music revolution, the head of the international recording industry called on the new Conservative government to enact tougher copyright laws.
Paid downloads of songs jumped from zero to six per cent of music revenue globally in the last two years, John Kennedy, president of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, told delegates at Canadian Music Week.
But in Canada, the figure sits at about two per cent, meaning fewer people are turning to online stores like iTunes to buy music and instead are likely downloading them for free.
He blamed archaic laws that don't account for the digital age....
Downloading music for free is not illegal in Canada. The [former] Liberal government tried to change the law with Bill C-60, offering the music and film industries protection from Internet piracy, but the legislation died on the order paper when the last federal election was called.
Newly appointed Heritage Minister Beverley Oda has said in recent interviews that she's in favour of copyright reform.
[Editor's note: Bev Oda is also, as I understand it, a reasonable person. I encourage my fellow Canadians to write ot email her and let her know what you tihink about "copyright reform," which is generally code for more draconian DRM and other copyright bully pigopolist escesses.
You can emal the minister at:
Or contect her care of:
Canadian Heritage
25 Eddy Street
Gatineau, Quebec
K1A 0M5
Tel.: (819) 997-0055
Toll-free: 1-866-811-0055
TTY/TDD: (819) 997-3123
CM]
For the full report visit here.
iTunes' Long March To Market Share
The Register's Andrew Orlowski says:
DMF Apple's iTunes Music Store has been hailed as "the future of music" so many times that you might conclude the future has already been written.
But a few statistics we gleaned at this week's Digital Music Forum (DMF), held only days after Apple boasted of its billionth download, help put it all in perspective.
The first, and most important statistic, is that Apple has taken just short of three years to reach one billion downloads. But even after litigation has put so many P2P networks on the back foot, one billion songs are downloaded illegally every month.
For the full report visit here.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/03/02/dmf_2006_itms_numbers/
Flamebait: Apple's Saviour Could Cast Spell Over Hollywood
The Telegraph's Keith Woolcock says:
An address can tell you a lot about a person. Take Alan Greenspan, who has just retired as chairman of the Fed - his office was at a place called Foggy Bottom. Now you know why his utterances were harder to untangle than the sayings of Yoda, that short wrinkly guy in Star Wars.
Next take Steve Jobs, the boss of Apple. If anyone gives the lie to F Scott Fitzgerald's old saw that there are no second acts in American life, it is Jobs. After dropping out of college he went to India to visit a guru.
This is the kind of karma I could embrace, one that comes with several billion dollars of upside. On his return he co-founded Apple. Then he got sacked, only to reappear a decade or so later as the firm's saviour. The stock is up 17 times since then, which must come pretty close to nirvana in any cynical capitalist's eyes.
Jobs's address when running Apple is at 1 Infinite Loop. There might be a more fitting address in Silicon Valley but I'm damned if I know it. Jobs is the protean man, a shape-shifter driven by a need for rebirth.
In the early 1980s he recast the computer industry by launching the Mac. He trumped this with the iPod, which has revolutionised the music industry. Now he could be about to cast a spell over the magic kingdom that is Hollywood.
For the full commentary visit here.
Setting Up A Modem For Faxing In Mac OS X 10.4
A new Apple Knowledge Base article says:
To make your internal Apple modem or external Apple USB modem available for faxing, just send a fax from any application.
You can follow these simple steps:
1. If you're setting up an external Apple USB modem, make sure that it is directly connected to your Mac.
2. Open any document.
3. Choose Print from the File menu.
4. Select "Fax PDF" from the PDF pop-up menu.
5. Verify that the expected modem is selected in the Modem pop-up menu, such as "External Modem" for the Apple USB modem.
If you want to receive faxes, set up your Mac to receive faxes. The modem will answer calls (if the computer is turn on and awake) even if the modem does not appear in the Fax List.
If you are using a third-party modem, contact the manufacturer for assistance if these steps do not help.
You can check it out at:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=303266
Is DC The Power To Solve Heat Problems?
CNET News.com's Stephen Shankland reports:
Thomas Edison lost the war when it came to his advocacy of direct current as the best way to distribute electricity. But his ideas are now winning battles as a solution to growing power and cooling problems in the data center.
For electricity flowing all the way from power plants to the wall socket, alternating current rules the roost. For the short transmissions inside those computers, though, DC power prevails. The search for ways to convert AC to DC more efficiently is leading some data center companies to consider a DC-centric engineering approach.
The DC sales pitch, most notably from server market newcomer Rackable Systems, puts the once-ignored issue of electrical efficiency at center stage. However, while Sun Microsystems and IBM might agree with DC backers that computer power and cooling is a major problem, those server incumbents generally disagree that DC is part of the solution.
Proponents argue that using DC outside the server removes some of the inefficiencies of power supplies that convert AC electricity to DC. Servers without such power supplies don't have to contend with as much waste heat and attendant component failure.
For the full report visit here:
http://news.com.com/Is+DC+the+power+to+solve+heat+problems/2100-1010_3-6044933.html
The Mac NIght Owl: The Apple Whining Report
Some people are so devoted to products from Apple Computer that they forget it's just a company, not your friend. So it may do things to protect its stockholders and ensure its profitability that won't match your expectations. To generalize the concept: Take the price of a new product. You may regard it as too expensive, lacking the features that you want. But Apple's financial and product people consider the costs of manufacturing, the profits they require to cover manufacturing and R&D expenses, including paychecks for the thousands of people who depend on the company for their livelihood, and produce a figure that satisfies their needs, even if you'd rather play $100 less. As for that feature you want, marketing may feel that the right number customers won't pay extra for it, that you might find it in a third party utility, and that, as they say, is that.
Here's the URL for today's commentary:
http://www.macnightowl.com/news/2006/03/week1.htm#whining
Note: You can also access our RSS feed, available at:
http://www.macnightowl.com/index.xml
The Mac Night Owl: New Apple Hardware: Please Don't Annoy Me with Facts!
Since Apple introduced the MacIntel version of the Mac mini and the iPod Hi-Fi on Tuesday, Mac
users around the world have had plenty to say. A lot of it is positive, and many of you are prepared to place your orders. But lots of others, despite having nothing but some specs to go by, are already condemning the new products. Well, everyone is entitled to their opinion, right?
Here's the URL for today's commentary:
http://www.macnightowl.com/news/2006/03/week1.htm#facts
Note: You can also access our RSS feed, available at:
http://www.macnightowl.com/index.xml
Security Scares Mount For Macintosh Users
USA Today's Jon Swartz reports:
Another day, another Macintosh security scare.
Or so it seems. Recently, users of Apple's Mac computers - rarely touched by viruses, worms and other nasty stuff - have been warned of at least three security threats. Now security experts have detected a flaw in the way Apple software handles downloaded files. The flaw could give attackers back-door access to Macs if their owners open malicious files from bogus Web sites and e-mail.
The latest vulnerability, which comes after the discovery of two low-level Mac worms, underscores that no computer is completely safe, security experts say. The threats could usher in a cautionary era among Mac users, who are unaccustomed to fretting about security patches or opening unfamiliar e-mail and instant-message links.
Windows-based PCs have felt the brunt of attacks for years because those machines command more than 95 percent of the worldwide market. Macs mostly have escaped the attention of hackers. Until now.
For the full report visit here.
http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/0302gns-security02-ON.html
Charles W. Moore
Tags: News ď Tech-Industry ď
