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Two-Fingered Trackpad Scrolling Could Give Apple an Excuse to Build a Two-Button Mouse
PowerBook G5 Ways Off, Possibly 2006
IBM To Use Strained Silicon To Produce PowerBook G5
Columnist Wants A Lighter PowerBook
Hide Your IPod, Here Comes Bill 
The Cell Chip - How Will MS And Intel Face The Music?
MP3.com Founder Vows Unchained Melodies
Apple: It May Be Too Late To Take A Bite
Apple Retests Its Consumer IQ
DEVONAgent 1.5: Significant Update
American Idol's Simon Votes Thumbs Down On iPod
Apple's Future Is With The Consumer Market, Not Just Pros
Mac Night Owl: On Becoming a Consumer-Oriented Company
Mac Night Owl: Nothing Lasts Forever: Was Michael Dell Right?
EU Restarts Patent Process[/url]

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Two-Fingered Trackpad Scrolling Could Give Apple an Excuse to Build a Two-Button Mouse

Low End Mac's Jeff Adkins says:

"Apple has introduced a trackpad with functionality you didn't even know you needed - two-finger automatic scrolling.

"According to a quietly released press notice Monday, Apple has engineered this new functionality into its new PowerBook trackpads. I can just see expert trackpad users whipping around a larger virtual screen to work; maneuvering over large image files, scrolling in Web pages, all becoming faster and faster and more comfortable than the scroll wheel on a two-button mouse.

"Speaking of mice...

those of you who are long term readers of this column might want to put your drinks down

...this trackpad has more functionality than Apple's one-button mouse, and, frankly, if I were using the new two-finger trackpad, when I switched to a mouse I'd miss the two-fingered scroll function."

For the full commentary, visit:
http://lowendmac.com/lab/05/0203.html






PowerBook G5 Ways Off, Possibly 2006

MacObserver comments:

"While Apple managed to squeeze the G5 into the two-inch thick iMac, halving that width is proving to be a daunting task. Last month, Apple VP Tim Cook called a PowerBook G5 "the mother of all thermal challenges."

"Michael Gartenberg, an analyst for Jupiter Research, said he would be surprised to see a PowerBook G5 in 2005....

"Good for Apple. Waiting until they can make a G5 Powerbook that's GOOD as opposed to just sticking a G5 in a laptop and saying 'done!'....

"...the computer world has ALWAYS been divided into 'Portable' or 'Powerful' computers. You have to decide what you want. It's always been that way, and it always will be."

I agree.

For the full commentary, visit:
http://www.macobserver.com/article/2005/02/02.10.shtml






IBM To Use Strained Silicon To Produce PowerBook G5

engadget.com's Joshua Fruhlinger reports:

"A new chip-making process using something called strained silicon promises to produce a less-power-hungry G5 chip that will make a PowerBook G5 a reality. The new process allows the CPU’s transistors to be sped up, improving clock time without requiring more power. So, will this happen any time soon? Most likely not, but here’s to hoping."

For the full report, visit here:
http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000760030241/






Columnist Wants A Lighter PowerBook

the O'Reilly Network David Sklar asks:

"Where's my 3.5 lb Mac notebook?

"When Apple announced new Powerbooks recently I thought, "Ah, finally, they'll release a 12" screen model without an optical drive so that it will be much lighter!" But I was wrong (and disappointed.)

"One of the primary reasons I bought my Thinkpad X31 two years ago was its weight (or lack thereof): 3.6 lbs with battery. The lightest Powerbook (or iBook or TiBook or WiFiBook or whatever Apple is calling their notebook computers then or now) was 4.9 lbs. The lightest one of the new crop from Apple is 4.6 lbs.

"So how about it, Apple? I'm willing to pay a financial premium, but not a mass premium. Where's my 3.5 lb (or less!) Mac notebook?"

For the full commentary, visit:
http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/wlg/6387






Hide Your IPod, Here Comes Bill 

Wired's Leander Kahney reports:

"Microsoft's leafy corporate campus in Redmond, Washington, is beginning to look like the streets of New York, London and just about everywhere else: Wherever you go, white headphones dangle from peoples' ears.

"To the growing frustration and annoyance of Microsoft's management, Apple Computer's iPod is wildly popular among Microsoft's workers.

"'About 80 percent of Microsoft employees who have a portable music player have an iPod,' said one source, a high-level manager who asked to remain anonymous. 'It's pretty staggering.'

The source estimated 80 percent of Microsoft employees have a music player -- that translates to 16,000 iPod users among the 25,000 who work at or near Microsoft's corporate campus.....

"So popular is the iPod, executives are increasingly sending out memos frowning on its use...."

For the full report, visit here:
http://www.wired.com/news/mac/0,2125,66460,00.html






The Cell Chip - How Will MS And Intel Face The Music?

The Register's Andrew Orlowski reports:

"A number of readers consider Intel and Microsoft the two dumbest companies ever to file a 10Q, and rejoice at the prospect of an upstart - almost anyone will do - dethroning them. But be careful for what you wish for: it might come true....

"Since the two giants established their hegemony around 15 years ago, we've seen many candidates threaten to unseat the PC duopoly. RISC, Unix, and Internet appliances (with or without Java) were all taken seriously as competitive threats in Santa Clara and Redmond. The Cell, from Sony, IBM and Toshiba is the latest; it will be unveiled next week in San Francisco and will ship later this year in the PlayStation3 console and in enterprise infrastructure from IBM. But what will a world with Cell supreme look like?...

"....Cell is designed to be a component in a massively distributed, global computing infrastructure. It's hardware specifically designed for 'grid computing'. A world full of Cell chips allows an entirely different infrastructure to take the place of today's transaction-based data centers. Software processes will scavenge the resources of the local Cell instantiation first, but if they find more execution resources over a local area network, or even on the other side of the world, they'll go and find them, and execute there.

"All previous generations of computers have been based on the idea that it's only efficient to execute the task required inside the box itself, or on one nearby. If this doesn't pan out, the machine is designed to refuse the offer gracefully and give up - and then offer to call the supplier on your behalf for an upgrade. Similarly, none of today's operating systems (we'll come on to Sun in a moment) can migrate workloads across the planet. And we all know what they do when they're overtaxed.

"So the Cell architecture has the potential to make computing global. And so a model where you rent computer cycles as a utility, and don't really care where they come from, becomes possible. This is a bit like the old days of the time-shared computing bureau, only this time round, you'll have a choice of utility providers. At least, that's the idea....."

For the full report, visit here:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/02/03/cell_analysis_part_two/






MP3.com Founder Vows Unchained Melodies

The Register's Andrew Orlowski reports:

"At least one newspaper thinks the battle against piracy is all over - and the Recording Industry Ass. of America, backed by Apple, has won.

"But Michael Robertson isn't so sure. The MP3.com founder who tangled with the music industry in a number of lawsuits before selling to Universal three years ago, is set to unveil MP3tunes, a new music service on Monday.

"Although signing up to Apple's iTunes Music Store, or one of the 'Nappletizers', is fast, convenient, and as easy as falling off a log, the numbers tell their own story. Billions of illegal downloads take place each month, vastly outnumbering the hundreds of millions the lock-down services have sold over the year. Even the most bullish predictions don't see the RIAA-backed option taking more than a few percentages out of the entire music market even by the end of the decade.

"Robertson thinks he knows the reason why.

"The music that Robertson will sell through MP3tunes won't come with any locks and keys. There'll be no need to 'authorize' your player, align your furniture, or pray to Cupertino in the hope the music will play. Robertson's store will be DRM free."

For the full report, visit here.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/02/03/robertson_no_drm/







Apple: It May Be Too Late To Take A Bite

BusinessWeek's The Barker Portfolio says:

"If the Bush Twins, Barb and Jenna, accessorize with iPods, as some gawkers said they had amid Daddy's inaugural celebrations, does that make the iPod more cool, or less? What about President Bush himself, who was seen iPoding late last year as he went for a bike ride? Did that spur iPod's monster holiday sales?

"Silly questions, yes, but they are some of what now passes for investment analysis of Apple Computer, maker of the iPod line of music players and the stylish Macintosh family of computers. Lately hitting a new high above 77, stock in Apple is not just high-priced -- 37 times this year's estimated profit -- but high-fashion. Which got me wondering: Besides a reflected glow as part-owner of today's most glamorous gadgeteer, what does 77 a share get an Apple buyer?

"Let's go first to the balance sheet. Impressively, 28 years since incorporating, Apple has no debt, long- or short-term. At last report, it had just $8.52 a share in total liabilities, mostly accounts payable. Those liabilities are easily covered by $22.34 in assets, including no less than $15.39 a share in cash and short-term investments. All in all, Apple's stated net worth is $13.82 a share. That probably undervalues Apple's real estate, which includes its Cupertino (Calif.) headquarters, plus plants in Sacramento and Ireland. Adjusting generously, we can guesstimate that one share contains $20 in net assets.
"
For a buyer of Apple at 77, that leaves $57 to wonder about......"

You can check it out at:
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_07/b3920125_mz026.htm






Apple Retests Its Consumer IQ

TheStreet.com's Troy Wolverton says:

"Apple's stock is soaring and its revenue is booming. The computer maker has a hit product and is getting loads of favorable press.

"So what's wrong with this picture? Nothing, if you ask investors who have enjoyed a run-up of 24% in the stock this year after a 200% surge in 2004.

"But more-skeptical observers might note that Apple's been here before. And even some of those bullish on Apple's future admit to some doubts about whether the company can maintain its momentum."

For the full report, visit here.






DEVONAgent 1.5: Significant Update

IT Enquirer reports:

"DEVONAgent 1.5 is a significant update of this Internet search agent, developed by DEVON Technologies. Well over 40 new features have been added, and an equal number of features have been improved. DEVONAgent 1.5 is now capable of a lot more than searching “ordinary” crawlers and web sites, and summarizing the results. RSS and specialist sites have been added to the feature list.

"Perhaps the least significant improvement in DEVONAgent 1.5 is its changed interface....

"More significant is the new version’s RSS/RDF capability.....

"Still more significant is DEVONAgent’s expanded plugin offering. MSN Web Search is the least interesting. Google Scholar, US Patent Office, Terrar (RSS feeds), and XML-based services like Google Directory and News, AlltheWeb News, Yahoo Directory, and AltaVista web and news are now directly supported."

For the full review, visit here:
http://www.it-enquirer.com/main/ite/more/devonagent_15/






American Idol's Simon Votes Thumbs Down On iPod

mac360.com's Tera Patricks comments:

"I watch American Idol from time to time. It’s great to see some dreams realized. It’s sad to see a few balloons popped. No one pops balloons better than Simon Cowell, the British critic. His latest target? Not a diva wannabe… it’s the iPod.

"The tug of war between Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell is great entertainment. Pretty Paula has a heart that reaches out to American Idol contestants. Some would say Cowell has no heart at all.

"When it comes to his view of Apple’s popular iPod, it’s apparent that Simon has no brain either.

"Cowell is quoted in The Guardian, 'From what I see there is a massive audience outside the iPod generation' and about the diminutive, simple to operate iPod, 'they’re too technical.'

"..The Guardian says Cowell isn’t much for technology, 'and does not like laptop computers or even email, because the latter act as a substitute for real communication.'"

Hmmmm. I rather like Simon for his incisive and unflagging honesty, and more often than not I agree with his evaluations of Idol hopefuls, but if he thinks iPods are "too technical," he's probably not qualified to comment on that.

For the full commentary, visit here.







Apple's Future Is With The Consumer Market, Not Just Pros

Low End Mac's Dan Knight says:

"Things are changing at Apple. Although Apple has always been an important player in the personal computer business, they've always competed in the higher end of the market....

"Until the iMac. When Steve Jobs unveiled the iMac in May 1998, the world saw something different. It wasn't just another all-in-one computer - it was a colorful computer shaped like nothing before it....

"Apple's next big consumer success was the iBook, which often topped the best selling laptop lists for the first month or two after a new model was released...

"Apple apparently learned the wrong thing with the iMac brand, turning it from a fairly price-competitive alternative to Windows PCs (a "cheap" PC setup in 1998 sold for about US$999 - the iMac for US$1,299) to an over-designed, overpriced oddity.

"Sales plummeted, and a lot of low-end Mac users wouldn't be using newer Macs today if Apple hadn't released the "education only" eMac to the general public. At least the eMac was somewhat price-competitive with low-end Windows systems.....

"Apple dominates the digital music player market and the digital music sales market. They've discovered that consumers will pay more for 'toys' that work better - and now they've applied that lesson to the Mac with a vengeance...."

For the full commentary, visit:
http://lowendmac.com/musings/05/0203.html







Mac Night Owl: On Becoming a Consumer-Oriented Company

Through a large part of Apple's history, it has focused primarily on the higher-cost, fully-outfitted professional models, with prices to match. As a result, profits were kept high, but sales figures weren't so terrific. Sure, Apple made occasional forays into the consumer market, but not with such great results. The Performa series comes to mind.

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