Top Links: April2004

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Link Archive: April 2004

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Benchmarks: Does boot drive speed really matter on PowerBooks? On G5 Power Macs?, Bare Feats, 04.30. "Is the 5400rpm 'BTO' drive option on the PowerBook worth $50? Yes."
Opinion: Throwing out the iBook with the bath water, Gene Steinberg, Mac Night Owl, 04.30. "...there was really nothing wrong with her iBook that a little instruction and a small amount of configuration couldn't repair."
Analysis: Apple's chip pain will ease - later, Alex Salkever, Byte of the Apple, BusinessWeek, 04.28. "...IBM is struggling to produce cutting-edge G5 chips of sufficient quality in sufficient quantity, and the upper half of Apple's hardware lineup is in limbo."
Opinion: What I like about Windows: USB Disk, Heng-Cheong Leong, My Apple Menu, 04.28. "This is how I remove my USB disk from my Windows machine... Mental check that I am no longer using the USB disk. Remove the physical disk."
Apple: Pepsi's iTunes promotion goes flat, Ina Fried, Cnet, 04.28. Apple Computer said Wednesday that about 5 million free songs have been given away through a Pepsi promotion, far fewer than the 100 million tracks that could have been redeemed.
OS X: Six months and counting, Gene Steinberg, The Panther Report, Mac Night Owl, 04.28. "Why are user experiences so inconsistent? Is it Apple's fault? Yours? The fates?"
Software: Apple releases QuickTime 6.5.1, MacMinute, 04.28. Lossless audio codec uses about half the storage space of uncompressed audio, significant improvements to AAC encoding, enhanced support for iTunes 4.5 and other QuickTime-based applications.
Advocacy: Now is the time for a low-cost, low-end Mac, Dennis Sellers, Macsimum Perspective, 04.28. "...Apple should seriously consider looking beyond the short-term view (immediate profits) for the big picture (long-term growth through increasing the sheer number of Mac users)."
News: iTunes turns one; 70 million songs sold, MacMinute, 04.28. iTunes has become "the number one online music service in the world with more than 70 percent market share of legal downloads for singles and albums."
Software: iTunes 4.5 adds iMix, videos, trailers, more, Jim Dalrymple, MacCentral, 04.28. Apple adds free weekly downloads, a way to share your playlist, music videos, video trailers, and more.
News: Apple makes 'iTunes on Campus' push, Peter Cohen, MacCentral, 04.28. "Apple is reaching out to colleges and universities with its . . . iTunes on Campus institutional licensing program. The program enables [institutions] to distribute iTunes at no cost...."
Advice: Mac OS X and Zip disks, Damien Barrett, MrBarrett.com, 04.27. "We've almost universally stopped recommending that students buy Zip disks for their data storage because of these persistent and catastrophic failures."
Opinion: Ways to start moving those Power Mac G5s, Dennis Sellers, Macsimum Perspective, 04.27. "However, though it's selling well, the G5's numbers aren't quite as high as Apple anticipated. That needs to change."
Humor: Mad Macs and the unshredder, Michael Swaine, O'Reilly Network, 04.27. "...just in case Apple has to change its name, I've come up with a few suggestions."
Software: In depth: iTunes 4.5, Jim Heid, Macintosh Digital Hub Site, 04.27. "For the first time, iTunes has a Print command: you can now print jewel case inserts and song lists."
Opinion: Just work? I wouldn't expect less from my Macs, Charles W. Moore, Road Warrior, Mac Opinion, 04.27. "Every Mac I've purchased, from the Mac Plus back in 1992 to my 15 month-old iBook is still in the family, and they all still just work."
Opinion: Bill buys a new Mac: A bunch more things I love about my new PowerBook, Bill Palmer, BillPalmer.net, 04.27. "...my PowerBook takes up so little space in my laptop bag that I can fit just about everything else I own into the bag as well."
Opinion: The PC: As distinctive as a VCR, Gene Steinberg, Mac Night Owl, 04.27. "How do you convince a PC user that the Mac is something more than a fancy-looking, overpriced PC?"
OS X: Firewire Panther bug, Mac Maps, 04.26. "Special note for 10.3.3 users: a driver change in 10.3.3 may cause some Firewire and USB devices to no longer be able to mount that were in previous Mac OS X versions."
Benchmarks: New eMac vs. iMac vs. PowerBook vs. Power Mac - all 1.25 GHz, Bare Feats, 04.26. The new eMac holds its own in CPU-based tests, lags on 3D gaming benchmarks.
History: Father of the iPod, Leander Kahney, Cult of the Mac, Wired, 04.26. "...Fadell designed the iPod as an independent contractor and shopped it to Apple, which hired him to bring it to market."
News: Intel to launch 3.6 GHz P4 in June, Tony Smith, The Register, 04.26. Wow, they're even calling one the Pentium 4 Extreme Edition - and finally reaching 3.6 GHz one whole year after shipping 3.2 GHz P4s.
Opinion: Bill buys a new Mac: A dozen things I love about my new PowerBook, Bill Palmer, BillPalmer.net, 04.26. "...fears expressed by some readers that the 1280 x 854 resolution on a fifteen inch screen would make things to small for me to see them, turned out to be completely unfounded. It's perfect."
Opinion: Are they for real?, Vern Seward, Just A Thought, Mac Observer, 04.26. "...I dislike Real Player for the same reason I dislike slimy used car salesmen, pushy phone salesmen, PC snobs, and religious zealots (which are indistinguishable in my book)...."
Opinion: Ten bizarre myths about the eMac that need to die, Bill Palmer, BillPalmer.net, 04.23. The eMac "manages to meet the needs of about ninety percent of all consumers, at a price that fits within ninety percent of those budgets."
Opinion: New York Times looks at cheap PCs, including eMacs, Vern Seward, Mac Observer, 04.23. "Starting at a skimpy US$799, the eMac does not skimp on features."
Opinion: Will Apple's Power G5 sales ever meet expectations?, Gene Steinberg, Mac Night Owl, 04.23. "...when you look at the desktop computer that the majority of Windows users own, the Power Mac seems in another league."
Opinion: Two important things every Mac user ought to know, Bob Levitus, Dr Mac: Rants & Raves, Mac Observer, 04.23. "I believe one button on a mouse is at least one too few buttons."
Opinion: Is there a magic formula to increase Apple's market share?, Gene Steinberg, Mac Night Owl, 04.22. "I don't think the status quo is good and Apple ought to be spending as much on ads extolling the advantages of the Mac as on cute animated spots selling iPods."
Opinion: I am synced. The beauty of iSync, Sean, Apple-X.net, 04.22. "...iSync, coupled with a .Mac account, is quite an optimistic bit of technology, developed expressly, it seems, for rarities such as myself [who have Macs in two locations]."
Software: Fire 1.0: Multiple chat-client compatibility, Ron Carlson, Insanely Great Mac, 04.21. After 14 months of development, this multi-client IM program (works with AIM, ICQ, Jabber, MSN, and Yahoo) has reached full release status.
Opinion: BusinessWeek: Apple needs to lower prices, Bryan Chaffin, Mac Observer, 04.21. "...Apple should dip into its margins, the highest in the industry, and lower prices in order to grow the Mac's market share."
Review: iCab X 2.9.8 Web browser and a peek ahead at iCab 3, Charles W. Moore, Applelinks, 04.21. "...overall, I love the rock-solid predictability and dependabiity of iCab. When I just want to get some work done on the Web, it's the one I use."
Opinion: Bill buys a new Mac: The best laid plans..., BillPalmer.net, 04.21. "...by going with a laptop, I'm opening the door for opportunities that otherwise wouldn't be there."
Benchmarks: New eMac 1.25 GHz vs. iMac 1.25 GHz vs. PowerBook 1.25 GHz, Bare Feats, 04.21. How does that new $799-999 eMac compare with same speed iMacs and PowerBooks? Not bad, but 3D gaming could be better.
Review: Dragon Burn 3.1: Inexpensive disc-burning program makes promises it can't keep, Christopher Breen, Macworld, 04.21. Low-cost alternative to Toast does some things well, others very poorly.
Opinion: Apple spruces up the 'Books for spring, Charles W. Moore, Road Warrior, Mac Opinion, 04.20. "Generally speaking, all of these machines represent the most performance per dollar that's ever been available in Apple portables...."
Opinion: CD checks are burdensome to road warriors, Peter Cohen, Macworld, 04.20. "...laptop owners who play games on their computers suffer a problem that the rest of us don't have to worry about too much - making sure they bring their discs with them when they play."
Advocacy: Set iSync free, Bynk Zone, Generic Mac Stuff, 04.19. "...thanks to Apple not opening up the iSync and other synchronization APIs, there's no way to easily and automatically share data between applications."
News: Apple updates PowerBooks and iBooks, MacCentral, 04.19. Fastest PowerBook now 1.5 GHz, top-end iBook boosted to 1.2 GHz.
Opinion: A-O-hell for Mac OS X, Amy Alkon, Advice Goddess, 04.18. "...if you call a Mac OS X tech at AOL, they'll tell you the last 20 people they talked to just complained of the same issue."
Opinion: Bill buys a new Mac: The old desktop vs. laptop conundrum, BillPalmer.net, 04.16. "... I have the funniest of feelings that Apple will manage to whip out even more new Mac models just in time to turn all my research so far into theoretical dust."
Opinion: Why Apple's faithful will not prevail, Nick Clayton, The Scotsman, 04.16. "What impresses me is how Apple has managed to create an almost religious following for another one of its products, replicating its success with the iMac and other computers."
Opinion: Apple and Real? Just say no, Gene Steinberg, Mac Night Owl, 04.16. "Since Apple presently owns the digital music player and music download market, does it have any incentive to open its crown jewels to a third party?"
News: Real seeks musical duet with Apple, Laura Rohde, MacCentral, 04.15. Real wants to work with industry leader, adopt Fairplay rights management, give the iPod a broader base, update RealPlayer for AAC, and snub Microsoft.
Opinion: Bill buys a new Mac: There's no "I" in iMac, or is there?, BillPalmer.net, 04.15. "...here's what's wrong with it: first, and I can't believe that they did this, the 15 inch iMac does not come with a SuperDrive, despite being $200 more expensive than an eMac that does."
AAPL: Slow Power Mac sales trouble analysts, Macworld UK, 04.15. "...slow Power Mac unit sales were partly a result of Xserve G5 shipping delays."
AAPL: Apple's financials: The good and not so good, Gene Steinberg, Mac Night Owl, 04.15. "The sales mix continues to favor portables in increasing numbers, with some 48 percent concentrated in the iBook and PowerBook."
Opinion: For Apple, success is spelled 'i-P-o-d', Brad Gibson, Mac Observer, 04.15. "...Apple announced Wednesday that for the first time, the company sold more iPod and iPod mini portable digital-music players in the second-quarter than it did Macs."
AAPL: Apple Computer shares jump as 3rd-qtr forecast tops estimates, Bloomberg, 04.15. "Shares of Apple Computer Inc. climbed as much as 10 percent in Europe after the company said its iPod music player shipments exceeded expectations...."
Opinion: Does Apple need resellers?, Steve McCullough, Inside Apple, 04.15. "Given that Apple has a paltry (but growing) retail presence, it seems obvious that resellers are crucial to the distribution of Apple products."
Opinion: Can Apple convert iPod sales into CPU sales?, Forbes, 04.15. "... the computer maker still needs to make structural changes on the cost side in order to compete more profitably against Dell and others over the long term.'"
Opinion: Bill buys a new Mac: How did it ever get this confusing?, BillPalmer.net, 04.14. "...the eMac was very successful, so much so in fact that when LCD prices never did come back down, Apple was compelled to make the eMac available to the general public."
AAPL: Apple's Q2 success seen through all segments, Brad Gibson, Mac Observer, 04.14. "From handheld music players to walk-in, retail stores, the PC maker with the smallest market share is having big time success."
Opinion: Don't forget the basics, Gene Steinberg, Mac Night Owl, 04.14. The eMac may not be cutting edge technology, but it is a great value.
Opinion: The 1 GHz Pismo, Charles W. Moore, Road Warrior, Mac Opinion, 04.13. "The Blue Chip G3 1.0 GHz Pismo . . . adds another attractive alternative to the already rich choice of processor upgrade options for the Pismo PowerBook."
OS X: The Great Panther Disaster of 2004, Jeffrey Zeldman, The Daily Report, 04.12. "...I discovered a couple of AppleDesign decisions that make sense under normal circumstances but turn problems into disasters when things go wrong."
Virus: The Great Mac Trojan Horse Conspiracy Theory, Gene Steinberg, Mac Night Owl, 04.12. "...without an immediate threat to the Mac, the sales of [virus] software have probably suffered quite a bit."
Tech: Processors: The road to tomorrow, Richard Fisco, PC Magazine, 04.09. "Apple and IBM are playing their dual G5 plans close to the vest. Speculation is, however, that they will move to a 90-nanometer (90-nm) process and possibly a dual-core design."
Review: Launchers for Mac OS X, Giles Turnbull, O'Reilly Network, 04.09. LaunchBar, Butler, Quicksilver, an other keyboard-based launchers for Mac OS X.
Huh?: A pink iBook is a girl's best friend, Leander Kahney, Cult of Mac, Wired, 04.09. This is the iBook that should have appeared in Legally Blonde 2 instead of a pink Windows laptop.
Rights: Labels seek end to 99¢ music per song download, Andrew Orlowski, The Register, 04.09. "...the major five labels think that 99 cents per song is too cheap, and are discussing a price hike that would increase the tariff to $1.25 up to $2.99 per song."
Opinion: Anyone who uses "Mac" and "marketshare" in the same sentence is a big fat idiot, Bill Palmer, BillPalmer.net, 04.09. "...while increasing the total number of Mac users is vital to the ongoing prosperity of the platform, and it's one of Apple's stated goals, 'marketshare' has absolutely nothing to do with it."
Tech: Chip start-up boosts Wi-Fi rate by '10-20 times', The Register, 04.09. "The Engim chipset . . . can use the three non-overlapping [channels] in parallel, increasing total throughput...."
Virus: Mac OS X MP3 file trojan horse - fact or fiction?, Macs Only!, 04.09. Is this one really out there, or just a "proof of concept" that hasn't found its way into the real world?
Web: AOL quietly opens its mail system to the rest of the world, Gene Steinberg, Mac Night Owl, 04.09. After all these years, AOL has "quietly allowed third party e-mail software to work with its formerly proprietary system."
Advocacy: Shift, if not switch, Kennedy Brandt, RAMblings, SuperMac Insider, 2003.10.17. "I don't personally know anyone who has simply switched. I do, however, know a number of people who have shifted their computing platform...."
Software: Charles Moore reviews RapidWeaver 2.1.1 web page design software, Charles W. Moore, Applelinks, 04.08. RapidWeaver could be the kind of simple, easy-to-use, WYSIWYG program Mac users have longed for since the demise of Claris Home Page.
Opinion: A two-button scrollable Apple mouse?, Gregory Ng, Apple|Matters, 04.08. "...we shouldn't have to resort to third-party mice and hacks. I don't want a different brand of mouse sitting on my desk. I want an Apple one."
Advice: Reduce CPU usage of apps by hiding their windows, Mac OS X Hints, 04.08. "By hiding apps, you can reduce the number of CPU cycles they use as OSX no longer has to re-draw their windows when something changes."
Virus: Mac OS X trojan horse infects MP3s, Slashdot, 04.08. Trojan masks itself as an MP3 file, thanks to Apple's abandonment of metadata, but so far it's only a "proof of concept."
Virus: The first Trojan horse virus attacking Mac OS X?, Rob McNair-Huff, Mac Net Journal, 04.08. This Trojan horse, MP3Concept (MP3Virus.Gen), exploits a weakness in Mac OS X where applications can appear to be other types of files.
Virus: Why do they tolerate this abuse?, Gene Steinberg, Mac Night Owl, 04.08. "I don't know about all those companies being hurt because of their dependence on Windows, but I would start looking for alternatives real fast."
Opinion: Apple granted patent for adjustable screen snake arm, John Kheit, The Devil's Advocate, Mac Observer, 04.07. "Well, let's just say that who ever made the call to can the snake was on the money."
Advocacy: How to get more Windows users to switch, Roger Born, MyMac, 04.04. "How hard would it be for Apple to provide a Windows mode for OS X?"
Opinion: Gateway didn't buy eMachines, Gateway went out of business, Bill Palmer, 04.02. "At this point, there's almost nothing left of Gateway but the name."
Dark Side: Gateway to close retail stores, Gateway, 04.01. No joke. Gateway will close all retail locations effective April 9, 2004.
Humor: Mac virus attacks Windows PCs, Macworld UK, 04.01. "...Maccy.C tries to disable Windows software on infected computers, replacing it with a version of Mac OS X."
Humor: Apple logo found on Mars, Macworld UK, 04.01. "Stunned space scientists were reeling last night after stumbling across a startling new formation on the surface of Mars - a crater resembling the Apple logo."
Huh?: Google launches email, takes the Bill Gates defense, Andrew Orlowski, The Register, 04.01. "Google will use its feted scalability skills to take on Yahoo! in the email business, according to the New York Times."
Humor: Intel's Itanium rockets to 64-bit shipment lead, Ashlee Vance, The Register, 04.01. "After more than a decade hawking the Itanic chip, Intel has managed to unseat IBM, Sun Microsystems and HP as the leading 64-bit processor vendor."


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