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Ultra-Portable Apple MacBook Trifecta Expected at MacWorld 2008?
Macs Make Business Inroads - Apple Now #1 Notebook With Consumers
Huckabee, Obama, Kerry, Dean: Are they Macs or PCs?
2007: Apple's Biggest Year Ever?
Apple Mac Sales On Sharp Up-Swing
Why Apple Would Be Crazy to Introduce a Sub-Notebook
What's Wrong With Apple's Mac Sales
RIAA: Those CD rips of yours are still "unauthorized"
Remove iTunes DRM easily and quickly with iMovie HD
Ethernet Slower with Leopard?
Don't Worry So Much About Repair Permissions
Apple Seeks Patent For System That Protects Falling Storage Devices
What Mac Stuff Do I Need to See Before Buying?
Encyclopaedia Britannica Partners with 5min, the Leading Online Videopedia
Baseline: Clash of the Titans II: Microsoft Vs. Google
Ultra-Portable Apple MacBook Trifecta Expected at MacWorld 2008?
MobileMag's Michael Kwan says:
At MacWorld 2007, Steve Jobs unleashed the Apple iPhone onto the world. As we turn our attention to MacWorld 2008 (which takes place next month in San Francisco), we're inundated with rumors surrounding not one, not two, but three new MacBook laptop computers. Better still, two of these just might be rocking NAND Flash. Bear in mind that these are just rumors at this point, but seeing how several of the iPhone rumors came to fruition at the beginning of this year, there is a distinct possibility that these MacBook rumors may also come to pass.
For the full commentary visit here:
http://www.mobilemag.com/content/100/334/C14040/
Macs Make Business Inroads - Apple Now #1 Notebook With Consumers
The Wall Street Journal's Ben Worthen reports:
Companies are starting to think different: Corporate purchases of Apple computers will reach an all-time high next quarter, according to a new report.
The study, released today by ChangeWave Research, found that 7% of companies buying laptop computers in the first quarter of 2008, and 6% of companies buying desktop computers, plan to buy Apple Macintosh machines. Both numbers are the highest rates for Macs since ChangeWave began its quarterly survey in May 2005.....
Just in case there's any doubt where that momentum is coming from: The study found that more consumers will buy Apple laptops than any other brand. Twenty-nine percent of consumers who are buying a laptop next quarter said they'll buy a Mac, ahead of Dell (28%) and H-P (21%)......
For the full report click here.
http://blogs.wsj.com/biztech/2007/12/10/macs-make-business-inroads/?mod=yahoo_hs
Huckabee, Obama, Kerry, Dean: Are they Macs or PCs?
Salon says:
As part of what they're calling the "Huckaboom" -- and you were just getting over Joementum -- Mike Huckabee's staff has posted a new Web feature that they hope will become an Internet phenomenon.
Fans of the Republican presidential candidate are creating video testimonials for him in the mold of Apple's "Switch" campaign of a few years ago, and you've been invited to submit your own....
Huckabee is not the first presidential candidate to ape Apple's ads. He's not even the first to take on the "Switch" campaign - in 2004, Errol Morris made a series of ads for MoveOn.org in support of John Kerry, and that was after fans of Howard Dean created "Switch" commercials for the former Vermont governor.
The current political season began with another Apple spoof - Phil de Vellis' pro-Obama "1984" ad, featuring Hillary Clinton as Big Brother....
Mike Huckabee is young, he's funny, he's an underdog, and he's got a facility with pop culture - so he does have some Appley qualities.
But in a bid to be like Mac, Huckabee's got a lot going against him, too. Chiefly his ideology: Huckabee is a conservative Republican....
And yet Mike Huckabee doesn't seem to be a PC, either; he's a little too polished for that....
So what is Huckabee? I open it up to you, readers. What tech brand does the former Arkansas governor most closely represent?
[Editor's note: Fair comment, but it does perpetuate the old "the Mac is a liberal's computer trope. For my more extended thoughts on that topic, click here. CM ]
For the full Salon commentary visit here:
http://machinist.salon.com/blog/2007/12/10/political_apple_ads/index.html
2007: Apple's Biggest Year Ever?
MacNewsWorld's Chris Maxcer says:
Apple has delivered some amazing and successful products over the years, beginning with the groundbreaking Macintosh in the 1980s. 2007, however, may very well be Apple's biggest and most influential year yet.
In January, Apple's CEO Steve Jobs set the tone for the next 12 months with the announcement of the now iconic iPhone, a device that had consumers drooling for months before it ever saw the light of day. Just about everyone believes Apple will enjoy an enormous holiday selling season with its revolutionary phone.
While the iPhone's success might be more than enough for most companies in a single year, Apple still managed to provide refreshes to every major line of hardware that the company makes: new Macbooks, new iMacs and new iPods like the iPod touch and iPod nano lead the list.
Oh yeah, and what about software? Apple delivered Leopard, the 10.5 version of OS X, with 300 new features. It sold more than two million copies in its first weekend -- not bad for a niche computer manufacturer like Apple. In fact, that brings up the question: "Is Apple really a niche company anymore?" Maybe "technology powerhouse" is a more apt description.
For the full commentary visit here:
http://www.macnewsworld.com/rsstory/60691.html
Apple Mac Sales On Sharp Up-Swing
247Wallst.com's Douglas A. McIntyre reports:
According to new research, sales of Apple Macs will surge as the year turns to 2008.
Based on a two surveys done in November by research firm ChangeWave, 29% of potential PC buyers who plan to make a purchase in the next 90 days plan to buy an Apple Mac. In early 2006, that number was closer to 12%. The percentage of companies planning to buy Macs is also rising and hit 7%.
For the full report visit here:
http://www.247wallst.com/2007/12/apple-aapl-mac.html
Why Apple Would Be Crazy to Introduce a Sub-Notebook
AppleMatters' Tanner Godarzi
Rumors have popped up about Apple introducing a sub-notebook to compliment the MacBook Pro line some time at Macworld. However, Apple would be foolish to sell such a Mac when they can focus on more portable priorities.
The iPhone should be Apple's focus, alongside an iTablet. Realizing I sound like a broken record now (has it really been 4 years?), I have a valid opinion on this matter that will indirectly bring massive improvements to the technological industry.
A Macbook Pro in MacBook has been desired for quite some time. The two lines compete with each other on such a similar scale, Apple would have to be mad to fuddle the product line even more......
[Editor's note: I couldn't disagree more. The death of the conventional, full-featured computer is greatly exaggerated, and even with all the hype around the iPod and iPhone, 62 percent of Apple's sales revenues still come from Macs. The lack of a subnotebook is a yawning cavity in Apple's notebook lineup, and they will sell a ton of units by filling it. CM ]
To read more, click here.
What's Wrong With Apple's Mac Sales
OSWeekly's Matt Hartley says:
There is no question whatsoever, once my wife brought her new iMac home, there was no other computing appliance in this residence as far as she was concerned. Yet this likely differs from most households as price over common sense often tends to be the prevailing source.
$349 vs. $599? Not considering extra tech support, additional software bundled or other benefits of one platform versus another, Joe User is generally looking at cost, even when they are being penny wise. So understanding that many people will continue the cycle of dysfunction, despite potential savings with repair calls when the latest malware rolls along onto the Windows PC, the almighty savings wins again.
The problem at its core is a simple matter of hard economics. Most people are not willing to spend $599 USD on a new Mac Mini. Why? Because of the price point. These same individuals will happily take a new Dell machine, loaded with trialware minus anything of real value, all for the joy of saving a few hundred dollars.....
....Really. I think the typical Apple store drives most people away. It's a lot like stopping in to visit one of those trendy clothing stores where everyone has their noses held high into the air....
To read more, click here.
http://www.osweekly.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2710&Itemid=449
[Editor's note: I sort of agree on the price point. My next door neighbors just bought their first new computer (moving up from ancient hand-me-down PCs), and I didn't even make a stab at trying to steer them toward a Mac. They got a Dell for half what a base iMac or a Mac mini with a display and peripherals would have run them, and it's awfully hard to argue with the value for the money. For my more extended ruminations on this topic, visit:
http://www.pbcentral.com/columns/hildreth_moore/toohigh.shtml
CM ]
RIAA: Those CD rips of yours are still "unauthorized"
Ars Technica's Eric Bangeman says:
Those MP3 and AAC files that you've ripped from your CD collection are still "unauthorized copies" in the eyes of the recording industry. In a brief filed late last week, the RIAA said that the MP3 files on a PC owned by a file-sharing defendant who had admitted to ripping them himself were "unauthorized copies."....
...During the Jammie Thomas trial this fall, the head of litigation from Sony BMG testified that she believed that ripping your own CDs is stealing.
When asked by the RIAA's lead counsel whether it was wrong for consumers to make copies of CDs they have purchased, Jennifer Pariser replied in the negative. "When an individual makes a copy of a song for himself, I suppose we can say he stole a song," said Pariser. Making "a copy" of a song you own is just "a nice way of saying 'steals just one copy'," according to Pariser.
To read more, click here.
Remove iTunes DRM easily and quickly with iMovie HD
TUAW's Mike Schramm reports:
The thing about DRM is that there are always exceptions to the rules-- while Apple has released lots of DRM-free music, lots of it is still bogged down by DRM, and if you're like me, you disagree that any music you purchase should be limited in the ways that you use it.
Fortunately, as long as you can hear the music you buy, there'll always be a simple way around the DRM, and 5thirtyone has put together this simple writeup explaining how to break iTunes DRM with a tool you've already got on your Mac: iMovie....
To read more, click here.
Ethernet Slower with Leopard?
HardMac's Eric says:
While we do not have fully investigated the issue, we want to publish 2 independent reports about this problem as it seems to be not isolated.
After several for installing NetInstall on Mac OS X Server 10.5.1 and as well as controls on several Mac clients running 10.5.1, I noticed that transfer speed of large files were 3 to 4 times slower with 10.5.1 than with 10.4.
AS an example, backups performed with Superduper take 28 minutes with 10.5 while it was only requiring 10 minutes when running 10.4 for the same amount of data. If Leopard is a nice OS, there is a problem with ethernet transfer speed...
For the full report visit here:
http://www.hardmac.com/news/2007-12-11/#7542
Don't Worry So Much About Repair Permissions
MacUser's Derik DeLong says:
Most Windows transplants ask upon switching about what maintenance they need to do. The most resounding, oft-repeated responses is Repair Permissions. This little part of Disk Utility is hailed as the solution to all problems. Kernel panics? Repair Permissions. Application crashes? Repair Permissions. Slow internet? Repair Permissions.
The problem is that rarely can one of these advisors explain what it does, or how. Even worse, they have no explanation for the messages that will come out of the utility on a regular basis. Apple to the rescue, finally.....,
To read more, click here.
http://www.macuser.com/geekery/dont_worry_so_much_about_repai.php?lsrc=murss
Apple Seeks Patent For System That Protects Falling Storage Devices
Computerworld's Brian Fonseca reports:
The US Patent and Trademark Office today published an Apple Inc. request for a patent that would enable sensors within data storage devices to enact a temporary safety protocol if any subtle change in gravity or acceleration is detected.
Apple filed a request for the patent in July, 2004, and yesterday's move by the patent office launched the public review process, said a spokeswoman for the agency. The process generally takes about 30 months, she noted.
For the full report click here.
For more information on the patent application, click here,
What Mac Stuff Do I Need to See Before Buying?
MyFirstMac's Chris Kerins says:
.....what Mac stuff should you really see in person before buying? Actually drive to a store and try out in advance? Generally, the answer to this is hardware, the things that you will hold on your hands. Think of the shopping trip as a test drive. I even suggest that unless you need the item immediately, ONLY take a test drive in the store. Then go home and order it for cheaper on the web.
I'll list out my suggestions below in order of importance and a few reasons to not go to the store for some items. Go ahead and let us know your thoughts and tips in the forum thread at the end.
To read more, click here.
Encyclopaedia Britannica Partners with 5min, the Leading Online Videopedia
[ Press Release ]
http://www.5min.com http://www.5min.com, the leading instructional video website, and Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc., one of the world's most trusted sources of information, have announced a new partnership aimed at bringing the best in educational video to online users.
Under the agreement, 5min will host educational videos from Britannica's collection on a broad range of topics, including science, geography, history, nature and more. The collaboration will give 5min's knowledge-seeking users easy access high-quality videos, while Britannica will benefit from exposure to new online audiences.
5min is an instructional video site that allows users and businesses to showcase their knowledge and skills through an innovative instructional media player. Since its launch in April, the website has generated a considerable fan base and now boasts over 1.5 million monthly unique visits, 4 million video views and thousands of instructional videos being uploaded every month.
"We are very excited about this strategic partnership, and are extremely proud to have such an established and reliable brand on board," says Tal Simantov, co-founder and CMO at 5min. "This is another step in bringing our Life Videopedia vision to life, bridging between text and instructional videos and offering our users an enhanced learning experience. We are delighted to welcome Britannica into this vision, and we're convinced that this is just the beginning of a fruitful and ongoing collaboration."
"Britannica has an extensive collection of educational videos, and we're always looking for new ways to make them available to more people," said Dan Smith, senior vice president with Encyclopaedia Britannica. "5min.com's site is ideal for that because it attracts our kind of people, people who want to learn."
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. ( http://www.britannica.com ) is a leader in reference and education publishing whose products can be found in many media, from the Internet to cell phones to books. A pioneer in electronic publishing since the early 1980s, the company also still publishes the 32-volume Encyclopaedia Britannica, along with services such as Britannica Online School Edition and new printed products such as Britannica Student Encyclopedia, which are available online at:
http://store.britannica.com
Baseline: Clash of the Titans II: Microsoft Vs. Google
"If Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer always sees Google in his rearview mirror, there's good reason: Google is beating the pants off the Windows folks in terms of perceived value to customers.
In a Baseline analysis of the annual CIO Insight Vendor Value survey data, the upstarts at Google are outclassing the old-guard client-server guys in Redmond in delivering on the promise of adding value and increasing efficiencies of enterprise operations."
To read more, click here.
Charles W. Moore
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