Apple and Adobe have had an interesting relationship over the years. Back when desktop publishing started, Apple and Adobe was at the forefront. Apple had the Macintosh, one of the first computers for ‘artists,’ and Adobe had PostScript, PageMaker, and soon after Photoshop. In more recent years, Adobe has had the appearance of abandoning the Mac in favor of the massive Windows platform. Mac versions of Adobe software were dropped, and new versions of their software would appear for Windows first. While Adobe reassured customers that they were still very Mac centric, Windows looked to be the favorite child.

Since Apple switched to the Intel processor, Adobe has rejuvenated their Mac line of software.... The last week of March brought Photoshop Elements 6 for the Mac. This version brings the Mac up to speed with the PC version and includes extras like Adobe Bridge, an amazing photo organizer and viewing program

One of the things that sets Macs apart from other computers is their longevity. People don't just throw them away. Macs tend to soldier on long after their spec sheets say that they're "obsolete". This may explain another phenomenon almost unique to the Macintosh subset of the computing world: Mac collectors.

It's understandable when you think about it. Can you picture someone beaming with pride as they show their friend the Packard Bell 286 or Compaq Deskpro P-133 they just bought, saying "...and look! It still works!" as they turn it on and watch the BIOS screen flicker to hieroglyphic life?

Me neither....

Some Macs are sought by collectors for their historic significance. The first 128K machines bring collector's prices these days - if they're in collector's condition, of course. The "wicked fast" IIfx is another machine prized for its place in Mac history. A working Mac TV (above) is a feather in any Mac collector's cap, and no accumulation of milestone Macintoshes would be complete without a G3 WallStreet or an original Bondi blue iMac. Don't forget the TiBook, which pointed the way to the laptop form-factor of the future.

Then there are other machines, often evolutionary dead ends in the history of Macintosh - sometimes even outright Road Apples by the spec sheet - that still spark high levels of interest even today.....

Office 2008 SP1 includes almost 50 improvements to Entourage. This article is focused on the general improvements that been hot topics on the newsgroups for Entourage 2008. Exchange Support features will be discussed in [Office 2008 SP1] Exchange Server 2007 support improved with update.

First, thanks to all that worked with MVPs, developers and reported their problems using the MERP tool. this combined effort has resulted in an unprecedented set of improvements.

Previously, we have advised that users can run both Office 2004 and Office 2008 at the same time except for Entourage. After applying SP1, users can run both Entourage 2004 and Entourage 2008 at the same time.

Did your problem get addressed in SP1? Following are improvements that will surely make a lot of users happy.

Key improvements:
Stability
Sync Services
Accounts
Attachments
Font/Text/Hyperlinks
Date & Time
Stability

Can Microsoft's Macintosh Business Unit expect anything but frustration from its installed base of users? The excuses from the development team are wearing very, very thin.

The news today was that the group was able to get its first batch of 1,000 bug fixes, aka Office 2008 for Mac Service Pack 1, out in record time. This is good news and all Office for Mac users are pleased with the effort of the team. You can read the long list of "reliability" and "stability" improvements here.

But what are we to make of this comment by Mac BU General Manager Craig Eisler on the group's blog:

We've paid attention to your feedback here on the blog as well as in other user forums and collected crash data through the Microsoft Error Report Protocol (MERP). The result is that you are going to have an even better experience with Office 2008 for Mac. This is a major update that focuses on overall stability, security and performance and you can get it for free from our download page.

Hurray! We don't have to pay for the fixing of 1,000 or more bugs...

As I've noted here and in my blog, more and more Windows users are expressing an interest in switching to Apple's Macintosh platform, and many of them are taking the plunge.

Indeed, the number of people using Macs is growing at a rapid rate. NPD Research reports Apple's share of the retail market is now 14 percent, and IDC and Gartner say the Mac's overall market share is now 6.6 percent, up from 2 percent just a few years ago. That growth is almost certainly coming from people who previously used Microsoft's Windows operating system.

But any time you make a major change, even with an operating system known for its user-friendliness, there is a learning curve. Over the last year, I've helped a lot of Windows users buy and set up their first Macs. It's been interesting watching them cope, and seeing many become confused by key differences between Windows and the Mac OS. Here are six common items that regularly flummox Mac newbies...

A generation of unprecedentedly large and fast iPod docks is now on offer, and it has now been announced that firm customer orders have been placed.

Air New Zealand will equip eighteen of its airliners with in-flight entertainment rigs allowing iPod users to play their video on seatback screens, listen to audio through the aircraft system, and control their device via the plane's interface.

No sign of the Apple branding yet...

I like being surprised, but I have to tell you that I didn’t expect Office 2008 for the Mac to do very well. You see, Microsoft’s reputation is heavily tarnished these days, and more and more people are embracing Macs; in greater numbers, in fact, than anyone had a right to expect. At the same time, sales of Vista are not so terrific, made mostly to people buying new PCs, and even then it seems a fair number of their customers really want to “downgrade” or “sidegrade” to XP.

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