Top Links: May2004

Mac News Today

Link Archive: May 2004

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Opinion: Mac desktop or Mac laptop? The eternal question remains, Bill Palmer, BillPalmer.net, 05.31. "...it comes down to two factors: how often you're going to travel with it outside of your home, and how often you're going to want to use it . . . within your home other than at your desk."
Advice: Should aging iMac be upgraded or replaced?, Bob Levitus, Dr Mac, Houston Chronicle, 05.21. "A friend recently asked what I thought he should do about his wife's 400-megahertz Blueberry iMac G3."
Web: Mac SE alive and kicking on Web, Leander Kahney, Wired, 05.19. "...a pair of German Web designers has created a working simulation of Apple Computer's classic Mac SE on the Web." Very cool.
OS X: Now you see 'em, now you don't: Invisible files in Mac OS X, Ted Landau, MacFixIt, 05.19. How to work with files you can't normally see in Mac OS X.
Tech: Fragmentation in HFS Plus volumes, kernelthread.org, 05.19. With 10.3: "Defragmentation on HFS+ volumes should not be necessary at all, or worthwhile, in most cases, because the system seems to do a very good job of avoiding/countering fragmentation."
Opinion: Macintosh: It's not just the same crap, but different, Bill Palmer, BillPalmer.net, 05.18. "...the very fact that Windows is so crappy, is one of the things that makes it so difficult for Apple to lure people away from it."
Apple: Apple's platform agnosticism, Julio Ojeda-Zapata, TwinCities.com, 05.18. In another sign of Apple's increasing platform agnosticism, the firm now lets .Mac members create HomePage Web pages on PCs (that's right, not Macs) running Windows XP and Internet Explorer 6.
OS X: New "serious" security flaw found in OS X, Bryan Chaffin, Mac Observer, 05.18. "The vulnerability allows malicious scripts to be run just by visiting a Web site."
Advice: A Compleat Buyer's and User's Guide to High-end Macintosh Laptops 2004 Edition, Charles W. Moore, Road Warrior, Applelinks, 05.18. Looking at the value of new and used 'Books at US$1,000 and beyond.
OS X: Safari security issue affects all OS X browsers, Rob McNair-Huff, Mac Net Journal, 05.18. "So far the security exploit that is stirring up the Mac world has been portrayed as something tied to Apple's Safari browser, but the truth is that it affects all Mac OS X browsers...."
OS X: Apple to slow pace of Mac OS X tweaks, Ina Fried, Cnet, 05.18. "We're slowing that (pace) down a little bit...because that's not a sustainable rate. But you'll still see us go really fast." A lot faster than Windows.
Rights: Googol may sue Google, The Inquirer, 05.18. Relatives of Milton Sirotta, who came up with the word "googol" in the 1940s, consider suing Google for "playing off that number and not compensating them even a little bit."
Advice: Networking with Bluetooth and FireWire, Charles W. Moore, OS X Odyssey, Applelinks, 05.18. Ethernet and AirPort aren't your only options for networking Macs. FireWire is "wicked fast," while Bluetooth is very slow.
Software: Sony halts development on Mac Everquest, Tuncer Deniz, Inside Mac Games, 05.18. "Sony Online Entertainment today confirmed what many in the Everquest community have known for months: development on Mac Everquest has been halted."
Opinion: The Apple of the enterprise's eye, Aaron Vegh, OSNews, 05.17. "With the introduction of the XServe, XServe RAID, XGrid and OS X Server, why hasn't Apple penetrated the enterprise market?"
Dark Side: Why Windows is a security nightmare, latif, TechUser.net, 05.16. "Worms and viruses are so stunningly effective on Windows only because Windows provides some atrocious functionality which makes it easy for worms to strike."
Opinion: Top ten reasons you should buy a $799 eMac, even if you think you don't need one, Bill Palmer, BillPalmer.net, 05.16. "...at $799, the eMac represents such a good value that you should probably buy one, even if you don't need it."
Opinion: Apple Death Knell #40, Enderle vs. Chaffin finale, Bryan Chaffin, Mac Observer, 05.14. "Apple has about 24 months to get its act together and position itself for the post-Longhorn world of Linux and Windows." Uh huh.
Tech: This hard drive belongs in Mensa, Tom Mainelli, GeekTech, PC World, 05.14. "NCQ allows the drive to handle multiple outstanding commands at the same time (a feature that first appeared in SCSI 2-based drives a while back)."
Opinion: Mac Death Match, round six: Chaffin vs. Enderle, Robyn Weisman, MacNewsWorld, 05.14. "Apple's marketing organization needs a dramatic overhaul."
Rights: Online music prices going up, Jefferson Graham, MacNewsWorld, 05.13. Although Apple is holding at 99¢ for individual tracks, album prices are going up everywhere. At which point, why buy online?
Opinion: Mac Death Match, round five: Chaffin vs. Enderle, Robyn Weisman, MacNewsWorld, 05.13. "...there's a glaring hole in Apple's approach, and that is in the entry-level market - the market from which new users typically come."
Advice: Stock 15" PowerBook 1.5GHz versus "Configure-To-Order" - 64MB or 128MB VRAM? 4200RPM or 5400RPM Drive?, Bare Feats, 05.13. Is it worth $50 more to get 128 MB of video RAM? Does the 5400 rpm drive speed things up enough to justify the cost?
Advice: A low-cost graphic card solution for old Macs, Kenji Nakagawa, Mac Observer, 05.13. Here's the scoop on a $109 AGP 2x/4x video card with 32 MB for older G4 Power Macs - all you have to do is flash the ROMs.
Virus: 'Trojan is not a virus' - Apple, Macworld UK, 05.13. "This is not a virus, does not propagate itself and has only been found on a peer to peer network. This is an example of the perils of seeking illegal software."
Opinion: The death of all things non-digital, part two: Apple's waiting arms, Bill Palmer, BillPalmer.net, 05.13. "Sooner or later, digital camcorder owners everywhere are going to . . . figure out how to get their footage into their computer and do something worthwhile with it, if kills them."
Virus: Wallon virus wrecks Windows Media Player, Cnet, 05.12. "A new mass-mailing virus called Wallon, which wipes out Windows Media Player and is activated when a user tries to play MP3 or video files from an infected PC, was discovered in Europe...."
Virus: Mac Trojan horse disguised as Word 2004, Slashdot, 05.12. Best comment: "This would never of happened if they were using a secure operating system like Windows."
Opinion: The reasons I prefer to teach on a Mac, John Nichols, Mac Using Educators, 05.12. "People are always telling me how great Microsoft Word is. I use it every day on both platforms. The Mac version is better."
Virus: Mac under fake Word 2004 attack, Macworld UK, 05.12. "Macworld has been able to acquire the file from Limewire, and . . . its contents appear to be malicious."
Opinion: The death of all things non-digital, Bill Palmer, BillPalmer.net, 05.12. The iPod is killing off CD changers, cell phones are replacing land lines, and analog video is giving way to digital recording.
Opinion: How Apple is killing the Mac myths one by one, Bill Palmer, BillPalmer.net, 05.11. "Apple has already won the digital music war, and it's managing to use that victory to pry people's eyes open when it comes to the myths surrounding the Mac platform."
Opinion: Mac Death Match, round two: Chaffin vs. Enderle, Robyn Weisman, MacNewsWorld, 05.10. "That makes two more of Enderle's fundamental arguments that are based on downright factual errors."
Opinion: Should Apple get out of the PC business?, Rob Enderle, eWeek, 05.09. "...Apple hasn't exited the party yet and until they do, the company remains one of the most important players in this segment."
Benchmarks: How fast does a USB 2.0 drive go on the newest Macs? how does it compare to FireWire?, Bare Feats, 05.08. Same drive, same enclosure, same benchmark test - but FireWire 400 is about twice as fast as USB 2.0.
News: iBook G4 graphics update available, MacCentral, 05.07. "Apple has posted a graphics update for owners of the iBook G4 12- and 14-inch models."
Opinion: Smoother migration to Mac OS X, Teemu Masalin, Mac Using Educators, 05.07. "While Mac OS 9 can be quite reliable and pleasant to use, Mac OS X provides educators a much better working environment and many benefits...."
Opinion: What I miss about using MS Windows, Steve McCullough, Inside Apple, 05.07. Computers that slow down over time, crash regularly, make you feel victorious when you actually get to be productive.
Opinion: Mac Death Match, round one: Chaffin vs. Enderle, Robyn Weisman, MacNewsWorld, 05.07. "Apple controls its OS and hardware, the only remaining PC company in the desktop market that can make that claim."
Opinion: I hate Mac OS 9. I hate Jaguar. Wow, am I spoiled., Bill Palmer, BillPalmer.net, 05.06. "After having spent the past half-year using the near-perfect Panther interface, I found Jaguar and OS 9 just lacking in usability, in comparison."
Virus: Could a worm on Mac or Linux ever get traction?, Larry Seltzer, eWeek, 05.06. "Based on this, you really could build a Sasser-type worm [for the Mac], one that travels from computer to computer without the user having to do anything stupid such as launch an attachment."
Opinion: Repeat after me: Apple is a business, Aaron Vegh, OSNews, 05.05. "Having made it through the recession as the only computer company (along with Dell) to turn a profit, Apple chose to innovate instead of insulate."
News: Apple sells 3.3 million songs on iTunes in week, Reuters, 05.05. Apple "said it has sold 3.3 million songs on its iTunes online music store since [releasing iTunes 4.5], with nearly as many downloads of the new version of its music player software."
Rights: $50 million in royalties returns to artists, New York State Att'y General, 05.04. "...many artists and writers were not being paid royalties because record companies had failed to maintain contact with the performers and had stopped making required payments."
Opinion: Sorry, Windows users, we just have it better than you do, Bill Palmer, BillPalmer.net, 05.04. "As a Windows user, you are the definition of a second-class computing citizen."
Opinion: Online music prices must be lower than CDs, Bryan Chaffin, The Back Page, Mac Observer, 05.04. "Of all industries that have been driven (into the ground) by the greed of those at the top, the recording industry may epitomize just how stupid an industry can act."
Opinion: AirHub, Damien Barrett, mrbarrett.com, 05.04. "How long before Apple really upgrades their Airport Base Station, and not just with the new Power-over-Ethernet option? How long before they start turning it into the digital hub it could be?"
Advice: The Road Warrior compleat buyer's and user's guide to low-end Macintosh laptops, 2004 edition, Charles W. Moore, Road Warrior, Mac Opinion, 05.04. All covered models can run Mac OS X and are available for under US$1,000.
News: Steve Jobs to introduce Mac OS X "Tiger" at WWDC, Bryan Chaffin, Mac Observer, 05.04. "Apple has made it official: At this yerar's World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC), Steve Jobs will show off yet another new version of Mac OS X." Release date unknown.
Virus: Sasser worm disruption growing, Slashdot, 05.04. "Yet another virus is causing problems with Internet Explorer. 'Sasser, unlike a virus which travels through e-mails and attachments, spreads directly from the internet.'" Windows only.
Opinion: Click, clack, I want my extended keyboard back, Gene Steinberg, Mac Night Owl, 05.04. "Did I say mechanical? Yes, these keyboards use standard, spring-loaded mechanical keyswitches, just as Apple did in the good old days."
Opinion: The coziest Office yet, Anita Hamilton, Time, 05.04. For personal productivity, the Mac version of Office has it all over the Windows version.
Upgrade: Daystar announces PowerBook Lombard XLR8 G4 upgrade, Charles W. Moore, Applelinks, 05.03. 433 MHz G4 upgrade must be installed by Daystar. Priced from $259 shipped.
Advice: Fifteen steps to juicing your aging Macs, Bill Palmer, Mac Using Educators, 05.03. Those old Macs keep on working, but they'll work better with more RAM, the latest Mac OS they can run, and other low-cost and no-cost improvements.
Opinion: The rebirth of Apple as a multimedia company, Rob Enderle, TechNewsWorld, 05.03. Author predicts death of Apple has a hardware and OS company, survival with iPod and cross-platform software.
Opinion: iTunes and lawsuits: The labels still don't get it, Steven Levy, Newsweek, 05.03. The iPod and iTunes Music Store are successful, but why does it cost more to download some albums than buy the CD online?
Hardware: Cube slip cover, Leander Kahney, Wired, 05.02. Does your Cube look dated when compared with the G5? This attractive cover will make it look like a whole new computer.
Opinion: Apple know UI, Brian Duff, Duffblog, 05.02. "I keep discovering things in iTunes that convince me of the fact that Apple's engineers know a hell of a lot about usability."
Opinion: My PowerBook wishlist, Brian D Foy, O'Reilly Network, 05.01. "You know those little displays on the outside of some flip phones? I want one of those for my PowerBook."


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