Moore’s Tech Web Reader - Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Ultraportable Mac due for MWSF 2008?
My Mac mini experience - Thoughts on the Mac mini
MacBook nano rumors swirl (again)
Build a Hackintosh Mac for Under $800
MacBook Developer Note Posted
Cross-Platform Computing: Better Than It's Ever Been
Mac claims more Japan OS sales than Windows
Whimsy: Vista and Leopard, Protestants and Catholics
A Computer without Word?
$199 Linux PC Sells Out At Wal-Mart
Windows users request OS X features
Anti-P2P bill gets warm welcome from Ruckus.com
Do You Wonder Why Apple Does What It Does?
PC Mag: Apple iMac (20-inch Aluminum) Review
eWEEK: After Penryn, Industry Looks Down Intel's Roadmap
LAPTOP Sends One Laptop Per Child's '$100 Laptop' to Africa
PC Mag: Laptop Project Starts "Buy One, Get One" Initiative
PC Mag: Intel: No Sign of PC Slowdown Soon
eWEEK: IBM Symphony to Challenge Google Apps
Linux-Watch: SCO Found Guilty of Lying About Unix Code in Linux in Germany
Ultraportable Mac due for MWSF 2008?
Macworld UK's Jonny Evans reports:
A flash memory-based ultraportable Mac may hit the market as soon as Macworld Expo, a leading analyst has warned.
Piper Jaffrey analyst Gene Munster made his predictions in his latest note to clients, pointing to Samsung's recent introduction of new 64GB flash memory drives.
"We believe NAND Flash drive sizes have now reached capacities that Apple would consider large enough to include in a new MacBook model," the analyst wrote.
For the full report, visit:
http://www.macworld.co.uk/mac/news/index.cfm?RSS&NewsID=19660
My Mac mini experience - Thoughts on the Mac mini
ZNet's Adrian Kingsley-Hughes says:
Now that the Mac mini has found a place within the PC Doc HQ, it's time for me to post some of my thoughts on the hardware side of this Mac.
The Mac mini is a pretty impressive bit of kit really. The idea that a PC can be crammed into a box not much bigger than a DVD drive is pretty amazing. For My Mac mini experience - Thoughts on the Mac minipeople short of space or who love that uncluttered feng shui look, the Mac mini will appeal (especially if you combine it with a stylish keyboard, mouse and screen).
If you have your own peripherals then the Mac mini is the quickest, easiest, and cheapest way onto the Mac hardware ladder. Which leads me to my first point about the Mac mini. I've noticed something strange about the system. That is, the more non-Apple peripherals you attach to the Mac mini, the less it feels like a Mac.....
The Mac mini is a lot more robust that I'd expected it o be....
The attention that Apple pay to the accessories is also out of this world...
Minor niggles aside, my Mac mini experience so far has been a very pleasant one.
For the full commentary, visit here.
http://blogs.zdnet.com/hardware/?p=927
MacBook nano rumors swirl (again)
Znet's Jason D. O'Grady says:
It's been exactly forever since people have been wishing for a ultra-portable Mac. Ever since the first Mac portable (if you can call it that) people have been asking for something smaller, thinner and lighter.
According to a story at AppleInsider Apple is preparing a "grand introduction" of an ultra-portable Mac at Macworld Expo on 15 January 2008. Features of the new notebook include:
• Approximately 50 percent lighter and thinner than current 15-inch MBP
• No optical drive
• 13-inch LED-backlit display
• NAND flash drive or hybrid drive (TBD)
• Significant improvement in battery performance
For the full commentary, visit here.
http://blogs.zdnet.com/Apple/?p=1027
Build a Hackintosh Mac for Under $800
lifehacker.com says:
If the high price tag for Apple hardware has kept you from buying a Mac but you're willing to roll up your sleeves and get adventurous, you can build your own "Hackintosh"—a PC that runs a patched version of OS X Leopard. What?!, you say. Apple's move to Intel processors in 2006 meant that running OS X on non-Apple hardware is possible, and a community hacking project called OSx86 launched with that goal in mind. Since then, OSx86 has covered major ground, making it possible for civilians—like you and me!—to put together their own Hackintosh running Mac OS 10.5. Today, I'll show you how to build your own high end computer running Leopard from start to finish for under $800.
Right now the cheapest Mac on sale at the Apple store is a $600 Mac Mini sporting a 1.83GHz proc, 1GB of RAM and an 80GB hard drive. For $200 more, your Hackintosh can boast a 2.2GHz proc with 4GB of RAM, a 500GB drive, and a completely upgradeable case for expanding your setup in the future.
Building a DIY Mac requires some work on your part, so be ready to dedicate time to this project. To make things as easy as possible, I'm going to lay out how I built my Hackintosh from start to finish, from the hardware I used to the final patches I applied to the Leopard install. If you can build a Lego set and transcribe text, you've got all the basic skills required.
To read more, click here.
MacBook Developer Note Posted
Apple has posted a new developer note covering the latest revision of the MacBook.
This developer note gives a technical description of the Intel Core 2 Duo MacBook computers introduced in November 2007. The purpose of this note is to provide information about the computer's internal design, input-output features, and expansion capabilities to help developers design products compatible with the MacBook.
This document provides a functional block diagram and descriptions of the main components on the logic board of the MacBook.
You can check it out by clicking here.
Cross-Platform Computing: Better Than It's Ever Been
Low End Mac's Andrew J Fishkin says:
Mac users used to be the nonconformists of the computer-using public, stubbornly sticking to a minority platform and forced to use arcane tools to share their data with the PC-using masses. The first time I tried a Mac, back around 1985, I wasn't able to move any of the reports I'd written in WordPerfect over - and even if I had been, it would not have been so easy to open, edit, or send that data back to the PC.
By the time I bought my first Mac in 1993, a PowerBook 145b, things had improved considerably - but still were not perfect. For old-fashioned "Sneaker Net" connections, Apple provided PC format floppy disk compatibility using the Apple File Exchange program in System 7, taking care of the physical movement of data. Moving data over a network was still problematic in those days, though products like PC MacLan and Dave made it possible for a PC or a Mac to integrate with the opposition platform with varying levels of seamlessness.
Even when disk formats and networking issues were fully integrated into Mac OS X (I've used 10.3 "Panther" and up, but never bothered with 10.0 "Cheetah" through 10.1 " Jaguar") and Mac services were made available on Windows servers, all was not solved. Even today, using the latest OS X Macs on a Windows share or physical disk will leave arcane files behind that, while harmless, do add clutter and confusion to IT and regular users who aren't familiar with Macs....
The fact that I can have PCs running three versions of Windows (2000, XP, and Vista), Macs running three versions of the Mac OS (7.5, 10.3, and 10.4), and a Linux PC (Ubuntu 6.10), controlled by a Windows server (Small Business Server 2003), sharing files, printers, and the Internet without the need to ever use file format translation is a testament to how far we have come since I started trying to make Macs and PCs play nice over two decades ago. With web-based applications running in a browser, it's possible to take compatibility to even higher levels, though I'm not ready to make that leap yet.
For the full commentary, click here.
http://lowendmac.com/fishkin/af07/1113.html
Mac claims more Japan OS sales than Windows
electronista reports:
Microsoft's has taken a bruising in the Japanese marketplace just as Apple's Mac OS X Leopard was released, according to a new report by the country's Business Computer News. The publication notes that while sales of Mac OS X increased dramatically between September and October, climbing from a rate of 15.5 percent year-over-year to 60.5 percent, Microsoft suffered from the reverse effect. Sales growth of Windows plummeted from 75.3 percent to 28.7 percent. The sudden switch provided Apple with about 53.9 of the total OS-only marketshare in Japan during October - a breakthrough for the company, BCN says.
For the full report, visit:
http://www.electronista.com/articles/07/11/13/mac.up.win.down.in.japan/
Whimsy: Vista and Leopard, Protestants and Catholics
HawkWings says:
Engadget has published the results of its shoot-out between Vista and Leopard. Naturally, Mail.app and iCal win over Windows Mail and Windows Calendar.
In fact, to cut to the chase, Leopard wins the features shoot-out with 46 points to Vista's 41.
Thinking about this exercise put me in mind of Umberto Eco's well-known comparison between Macs and PCs, which he published in the Italian news magazine Espresso in 1994.
It is worth quoting at length.......
"…Insufficient consideration has been given to the new underground religious war which is modifying the modern world. It's an old idea of mine, but I find that whenever I tell people about it they immediately agree with me.
You may object that, with the passage to Windows, the DOS universe has come to resemble more closely the counter-reformist tolerance of the Macintosh. It's true: Windows represents an Anglican-style schism, big ceremonies in the cathedral, but there is always the possibility of a return to DOS to change things in accordance with bizarre decisions; when it comes down to it, you can decide to allow women and gays to be ministers if you want to….."
What spirit of prophecy lead Eco to pair Anglicanism's current troubles so precisely with the ever-increasing torment of Windows users?
For the full commentary, click here.
[Editor's note: For my take on the Umberto Eco piece and a link to the original eassay, click here. ]
A Computer without Word?
Maria Langer says:
Last week, in an effort to get my old 12" PowerBook to run more efficiently, I decided to wipe the hard disk clean and reinstall Tiger with a clean install. After installing it, I got a little crazy and decided to upgrade to Leopard. So far, the machine works fine.
The computer does have a problem, however. Its aged and well-used CD-R/DVD drive has decided to be a bit picky about which CDs and DVDs it recognizes. It liked the Tiger and Leopard install discs, which are both DVDs. But it didn't seem to like the Office 2004 disc, which is a CD.
(A real Apple fangirl might point out here that the computer has taste. But I wouldn't dream of making such a statement.)
I can get Microsoft Office on the computer by other means. I can insert the disc in another computer and have the PowerBook access the CD via my AirPort network. Or I can create a disk image of the CD, transfer that to the PowerBook over the network, and install from that. Or I can put a disk image of the CD on an 80GB Firewire drive I have sitting around and attach that drive to the PowerBook to install. Any of these methods should work.
Or, if I want to get really radical, I can install the beta of Office 2008 on the PowerBook and let it become my official testing machine.
But let's face it: it's a bother. And this morning I began asking myself if it was worth it.... the real question is: Do I need Microsoft Office on it?
For the full commentary, click here.
http://www.marialanger.com/2007/11/13/a-computer-without-word/
$199 Linux PC Sells Out At Wal-Mart
InformationWeek's Paul McDougall reports:
Maybe open source has a future in the consumer world after all. A Linux-based PC that Wal-Mart began offering earlier this month for $199 is now listed as "Sold Out" on the retailer's Web site.
The Everex TC2502 Green gPC is one of the first Linux-based desktop machines to be offered for sale by a major retailer. As such, it could be an indicator of open source software's potential for success in the consumer market.
For the full report click here.
Windows users request OS X features
PCPro's Simon Aughton reports:
OS X features that Mac users can take for granted are liberally distributed through a list of most requested features for the next version of Windows.
The list unearthered by Neowin contains the top 61 request submitted by participants in Microsoft's Early Feedback programme.
For the full report click here.
Anti-P2P bill gets warm welcome from Ruckus.com
News.com's Declan McCullagh reports:
A music-sharing site supported by the Recording Industry Association of America is lending its support to new federal legislation intended to strong-arm universities into curbing peer-to-peer piracy.
The chief executive of Ruckus.com, which offers advertising-supported music at no cost to college students, said Monday that he backs a bill introduced Friday by Democrats that requires universities to agree to offer "alternatives" to peer-to-peer infringement-upon pain of all their students losing federal financial aid.
Ruckus would probably be the largest single beneficiary of that requirement. And its CEO, Mike Bebel, is enthusiastic about the legislation.
For the full report click here.
Do You Wonder Why Apple Does What It Does?
Mac360's Alexis Kayhill says:
Mac OS X Leopard is chock full of features we love. And some we have already learned to love to hate.
The Dock? Loved and hated. Stacks? Loved and hated. Time Machine? Loved. Sometimes broken. Quick Look? Loved.
Spaces? What's it supposed to do? You see the issues, right? With OS X Leopard, Apple gave us something for everyone. Not only are their wonderfully utilitarian features like Quick Look, there's colorfully worthless features like translucent Menu Bar.
Stacks? I love 'em and hate 'em at the same time and in equal amounts, but it took some effort on my part to get to such a balanced perspective.....
Still, tell me the truth. After using Leopard for a couple of weeks aren't you impressed? And, strangely enough, don't you wonder exactly what Apple's Leopard designers were thinking while they worked on some of the new features?
For the full commentary, click here.
PC Mag: Apple iMac (20-inch Aluminum) Review
"Finding any drawbacks to the newest Apple iMac is so hard it's almost like splitting hairs. The new aluminum iMac is a desktop nonpareil in both senses of the word: It is without equal, and (like the candy) it is sweet."
To read more, go to:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2704,2169523,00.asp
eWEEK: After Penryn, Industry Looks Down Intel's Roadmap
Despite the hype over Intel's 45-nanometer manufacturing, analysts are more eager to see what's in store next year.
To read more, go to:
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,2215496,00.asp?kc=EWK111307
LAPTOP Sends One Laptop Per Child's '$100 Laptop' to Africa
[ Press Release ]
To coincide with the start of One Laptop Per Child's Give 1 Get 1 initiative, LAPTOP – Mobile Solutions for Business & Life sent an XO laptop to Africa to get an exclusive firsthand look at what impact it could have there.
The results can be found in an article on http://www.laptopmag.com, "OLPC XO: We Gave One, Got One to Africa," which details the story of Sali Fandjalan as she presents the XO to children in Guinea. The XO laptop was designed to aid in fulfilling the educational philosophy that children learn by doing, exploring, and discovering. In the village where Sali was able to observe the XO in the hands of children, there are no formal education policies. Most of the children had never seen a computer before, never mind one developed especially for them, and they were fascinated by it. While the children were entertained by taking their pictures with the built-in camera, they also learned to type their names, play memory games, and create music.
One Laptop Per Child's Give 1 Get 1 program runs from November 12th to 26th and is the only time the public will be able to purchase XO laptops. During this program, North American consumers will be able to purchase two XO laptops for $399, one for them to keep and one to be sent to a child in a developing nation.
Laptopmag.com's complete One Laptop Per Child XO laptop coverage, which includes Sali Fandjalan's journal, can be found at:
http://laptopmag.com/Features/Complete-Coverage-One-Laptop-Per-Child-OLPC-XO.htm
PC Mag: Laptop Project Starts "Buy One, Get One" Initiative
"The One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) initiative on Monday kicked off its short-term "give one, get one" project that will send one computer to the purchaser and a second to a child in a developing nation.
The initiative started at 6 a.m. EST Monday and will last for 15 days. Those who donate $399 to the laptop project will receive a laptop of their own and a second will be sent to a child in need. Participants in the United States will also receive one-year free access to T-Mobile's HotSpot Broadband Internet service.
OLPC said it will make "every effort" to deliver the laptops by the holiday season, but cannot make any guarantees. "Early purchasers have the best chance of receiving their XO laptops in time for the holidays," the group said."
To read more, go to:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,2215602,00.asp
PC Mag: Intel: No Sign of PC Slowdown Soon
"Intel Corp, the world's top PC microchip maker, said on Tuesday it is seeing strong orders from its Taiwan manufacturing clients, despite expectations among some analysts that a slowdown is looming.
"Demand is still strong," Intel's Taiwan manager Jason Chen told Reuters on the sidelines of a company event, when asked about the company's sales in the fourth quarter.
He added that the company was seeing usual seasonal trends, without any unusual slowdown, for the first three months of 2008."
To read more, go to:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,2216179,00.asp
eWEEK: IBM Symphony to Challenge Google Apps
Big Blue's suite could eventually include live collaboration and shared storage online.
To read more, go to:
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,2214722,00.asp?=kcEWKDT111307
Linux-Watch: SCO Found Guilty of Lying About Unix Code in Linux in Germany
"In the United States, SCO's Linux/Unix litigation has been stalled out while the company's bankruptcy trial is being dealt with. In Germany, however, several court cases have found SCO Group GmbH, SCO's Germany branch, guilty of lying about Linux containing stolen Unix code.
In the first case, reported on by Heise Online, the pro-Linux German companies, Tarent GmbH and Univention found that SCO was once more making claims that Linux contained Unix IP (intellectual property). Specifically, SCO GmbH made the familiar claims that "As we have progressed in our discovery related to this action, SCO has found compelling evidence that the Linux operating system contains unauthorized SCO UNIX intellectual property (IP)." This was followed by the usual threat "If a customer refuses to compensate SCO for its UNIX intellectual property found in Linux by purchasing a license, then SCO may consider litigation."
The German Linux companies had already successfully protested against these statements in 2003. Then they were granted an injunction against SCO from making its claims that Linux contains illegally obtained SCO IP, a.k.a. Unix source code. If SCO violated this injunction, SCO would have to pay a fine of 250,000 Euros."
To read more, go to:
http://www.linux-watch.com/news/NS6690846052.html
Charles W. Moore
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