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| Monday, February 28, 2005 |
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Creator of first Apple Mac dies
Jef Raskin, head of the team behind the first Macintosh computer, has died.
Mr Raskin was one of the first employees at Apple and made many of the design decisions that made the Mac so distinctive when it was first released.
He led the team that decided to use a graphical interface and mouse that let people navigate around the computer by pointing and clicking.
The 1984 release of the Mac reflected Mr Raskin's belief that good design should make computers easy to use.
Ground-breaking
Mr Raskin joined Apple in 1978 as employee number 31, initially to lead the company's publications department.
However, in 1979 he was put in charge of a small team to design a computer that lived up to his idea of a machine that was cheap, aimed at consumers rather than computer professionals and was very easy to use.
The result was the 1984 Macintosh that did away with the then common text-based interface in favour of one based around graphics that resembled a virtual desktop and used folders and documents.
Users navigated around the machine using a mouse and by pointing, clicking and dragging.
Although now in common use in almost all computers, these methods were pioneering when first used in the Macintosh.
"His role on the Macintosh was the initiator of the project, so it wouldn't be here if it weren't for him," said Andy Hertzfeld, an early Macintosh team member.
Although Mr Raskin drove the team that created the Macintosh he did not stay at Apple to see it released. In 1981 he was removed from the project following a dispute with Apple's mercurial boss Steve Jobs. In 1982, Mr Raskin left Apple entirely.
The Macintosh was reputedly named after Mr Raskin's favourite apple, though the name was changed slightly following a trademark dispute with another company.
After leaving Apple, Mr Raskin founded another company called Information Appliance and continued to work on better ways to interface with computers.
He was also an accomplished musician, played three instruments and conducted San Francisco's Chamber Opera Society.
Mr Raskin was diagnosed in December 2004 with pancreatic cancer and died on 26 February at his home in California.
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MACINTOSH INNOVATIONS
Graphical interface Icons, documents and folders Mouse Double-clicking and clicking and dragging 3.5 inch floppy disk as standard
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| posted by Perimbean @ 6:00 PM |
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Apple unveils new iPod models
Apple Computer Inc introduced new versions of its hugely popular digital music player, including an iPod mini that can store more songs and it cut the price of the current "iPod mini" model.
Cupertino, California-based Apple unveiled a new "iPod mini" that holds 6 gigabytes of music and will sell for about $250, while it cut the price of its 4 gigabyte model, introduced about one year ago, to about $200.
The company said the 4-gigabyte model's $200 price, down from its previous price of about $250, will appeal more broadly to consumers. The new mini also has improved battery life of up to 18 hours, the company said.
Apple also introduced an "iPod photo" model with 30 gigabytes of memory at around $350, and offered an add-on that allows users to transfer pictures from a digital camera directly into the music player, which has a color screen.
Apple is the No 1 seller of portable digital music players – often called MP3 players – which allow users to carry thousand of songs on a device smaller than a wallet. According to Banc of America Securities, Apple's share of the MP3 player market rose to 40.2 percent in the December quarter, up from 37.5 percent in the Sept. quarter. Apple's new iPod Camera Connector will sell for about $30. |
| posted by Perimbean @ 2:00 PM |
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| Friday, February 25, 2005 |
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A voyage inside the iPod Shuffle
By John G. Spooner, CNET News.com
Published on ZDNet News: February 25, 2005, 9:30 AM PT
A look under the hood of Apple Computer's iPod Shuffle shows the company is making music with two chips.
IDC analyst IdaRose Sylvester recently dissected a 512MB iPod Shuffle, purchased at retail, in order to determine what the tiny music player is made of. Her report, published earlier this month, reveals that Apple used two main chips spread over two separate circuit boards to foster the compact design of the music player, which was introduced in January. But despite the Shuffle's tiny size, Apple still left room for a relatively high profit margin.
The Shuffle that Sylvester dismantled was based around two main chips--an MP3 decoder from SigmaTel and a flash memory chip from Samsung--which means the device uses many fewer chips than hard-drive-based iPods, she wrote.
The MP3 decoder, mounted to one board, takes charge of a multitude of functions. Its handles music, including the playing of MP3, AAC and Audible format files. At the same time, it harbors a USB 2.0 converter, SDRAM for buffering data and a headphone driver.
The chip can also handle Windows Media music file decoding, voice recording, sending images to an LCD screen and an FM tuner, she wrote. Those features go unused in the Shuffle, though.
The Shuffle's Samsung flash memory chip is mated to a separate circuit board. The two boards are sandwiched together at the top of the Shuffle, leaving room for its battery below.
The Shuffle's lithium-ion battery takes up the bottom half of the device; it sits between the boards and the player's USB (Universal Serial Bus) connector. Sylvester surmises that because of the Shuffle's design, it may not be possible for the battery to be replaced by a consumer, if at all.
As with any electronic device, Apple had to make some trade-offs. The Shuffle's twin-board setup, integrated MP3 chip, built-in USB connector and the circuitry required to support recharging its battery via USB amount to a fairly complex design.
However, Apple still appears to be making a healthy profit on the Shuffle.
Sylvester believes it costs Apple about $59 for the materials to build the 512MB device. The most expensive component in the Shuffle is its flash memory chip, which right now costs about $31, Sylvester wrote.
Thus Apple appears to be making a profit of about 40 percent on the 512MB player, she wrote.
Over time, the memory chip's price should decline, giving Apple even higher margins.
Sylvester believes that, right now, Apple is making a slightly smaller profit of about 35 percent on the on the 1GB Shuffle.
Apple could not immediately be reached for comment. |
| posted by Perimbean @ 2:30 PM |
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| Thursday, February 24, 2005 |
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Apple takes a step away from FireWireBy Ina Fried, CNET News.com
Published on ZDNet News: February 24, 2005, 4:00 AM PT
FireWire is still Apple Computer's baby, but the proud parent is cutting the cord.
With the latest crop of iPods, Apple is no longer including a FireWire cable in the box. The music players will still work with FireWire, if a cord is purchased separately, but only a USB 2.0 cable comes with the device. The move is part of a gradual shift on Apple's part to standardize the iPod on USB, which is far more common in the Windows world.
Although Apple's embrace has been gradual over several years, it is still a big shift for a company that helped develop the standard behind FireWire, technically known as IEEE 1394, and has been one of its biggest proponents.
IDC analyst Susan Kevorkian identified two main reasons for the shift. First, it used to not be possible to recharge the device via USB.
"They've been wedded to FireWire for a long time because it allowed them to charge (the iPod)," she said.
The other issue is cost. With the latest round of products, Apple cut its prices. By omitting the FireWire cord, the company can gain back some of the lost profit margins.
"It's more cost efficient to ship with one cable rather than two, and USB is more broadly supported on both platforms," Kevorkian said. "FireWire, it ships on some PCs, but not the vast majority."
Nonetheless, some Mac owners were rankled by the move, saying that as recently as a year or two ago many Macs didn't include a USB 2.0 port. As of Wednesday night, more than 1,300 people had signed an online petition calling on Apple to again include a FireWire cable with iPods.
Gary Reich, an Annapolis, Md.-based boating publication editor and owner of three Macs, said he launched the petition because he "felt a little betrayed."
"We, as dedicated users and supporter of your hardware and software are completely dismayed at your recent decision to discontinue standard FireWire support for the iPod music player line," the petition states, going on to note that "It is very unfortunate that you have left your faithful out in the dark on this one."
When the iPod debuted in 2001, it used only FireWire, and even the second crop of iPods--the first to support Windows--lacked USB support entirely. It wasn't until April 2003, with the dock connector-based iPods, that Apple first offered a USB 2.0 option. And then it was USB 2.0, which had to be bought separately as a $19 extra.
But there are clearly more and more Windows users that are looking for an iPod.
Shortly after Apple started selling a Windows-compatible iPod, the company said the breakdown of Mac versus PC users was about evenly split. But, at that time, only FireWire-equipped PCs could connect to an iPod. Now, nearly all PC users have the ability to connect to an iPod. In addition, iPod sales are now several times those of new Macs.
Apple first showed a clear preference for USB with its flash memory-based iPod Shuffle, which debuted in January. That player has a built-in USB attachment and uses that port for data transfer and charging.
USB creep
On its Macs, Apple has gradually been adding USB 2.0 ports alongside those for FireWire, adding it, for example, in 2003 to the iMac line.
Apple said it is still committed to supporting FireWire on the iPod, but sees USB as a more common port on which to standardize.
"We've been a proponent of both," said Greg Joswiak, Apple vice president of iPod marketing. "We try not to be religious about (it)."
Joswiak notes that Apple helped popularize USB when the company went USB-only on the original iMac.
"We're also the guys that made USB work," he said.
There are a few downsides to cutting the FireWire cord from the iPod box. There is a generation of Macs that have FireWire ports, but their only USB port is the slower USB 1.1. That version transfers files much more slowly and does not carry enough power to charge an iPod. Also, some USB hubs do not carry power, meaning iPod owners need to remember to plug the devices directly into their Mac or PC to charge them. Those who want the FireWire cord will now have to pay $19 to get one.
Who's a niche technology now, huh?
Advocates of FireWire had once pitched a much broader role for the connector, arguing that USB was the more niche technology, best suited for things like mice and keyboards. Instead, USB 2.0 has become nearly ubiquitous and it is FireWire that is seen as more the niche player.
FireWire and USB 2.0 both have roughly similar transfer rates, but they have found different markets. Macs typically have both ports. On Windows machines, USB 2.0 is standard, while FireWire is often left out or made available as an option.
On the peripheral side, while both USB 2.0 and FireWire are used for external hard drives, USB 2.0 is more common for digital cameras and FireWire for camcorders. More recently, Apple has been trying to make inroads for FireWire in the consumer electronics world, particularly as a secure method of transmitting digital video.
A faster version of FireWire, known as IEEE 1394.b or FireWire 800, offers roughly twice the speed of FireWire and USB 2.0. It is offered by Apple on its professional models and on some external hard drives, but has yet to see widespread adoption. |
| posted by Perimbean @ 5:00 PM |
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New iPod Mini Holds More Tunes
February 24, 2005 10:17AM
Tim Bajarin, an independent analyst at Creative Strategies, says Apple will sell many more iPods at the lower prices. But the bigger picture, he says, is the "game of chess" Apple's Steve Jobs is playing with competitors. "Every time he makes these moves with pricing, he makes it more difficult for them catch up," Bajarin says.
Apple slashed the price of its hot iPod Mini digital music player Wednesday to $199 and introduced a slightly larger version for just US$50 more -- moves expected to further fuel sales of the trendy gadgets.
Apple has sold more than 10 million iPods since 2001. It dominates the digital music player market with a 75 to 80 percent share of hard-drive-based players, according to market research firm Creative Strategies.
When the Mini was introduced last year at $249, the colorful device faced weeks of back orders. Apple CEO Steve Jobs says that won't happen this time.
"We've learned from our history," he said. The new models will be widely available this weekend, he said Wednesday.
Jobs called $199 a "magic" price point: "Getting under $200 has historically resulted in a broader market."
Last month, Apple began selling the tiny iPod Shuffle, a $99 digital music player that undercut similar products from Creative Technology and Rio. It holds about 120 songs.
Apple's Web site says orders take one to three weeks to fill.
The higher-capacity $249 Mini introduced Wednesday offers 6 gigabytes of storage, which can hold about 1,500 songs. The $199 version has 4 GB, good for 1,000 songs.
Apple also slashed the price of the iPod Photo. The device, which displays digital photographs in addition to playing music, originally was priced at $499 and $599 for 40-GB and 60-GB models. A new, entry-level 30-GB version is $349, and the 60-GB model is $449.
One consumer complaint about the iPod Photo was that you couldn't transfer pictures directly from a camera -- you had to use a computer. In mid-March, Apple will roll out a $29 adapter to address that concern.
Apple has also decided to charge customers $29 if they want an AC power cord to charge the Mini. New models can be charged via computer through a USB cable.
Tim Bajarin, an independent analyst at Creative Strategies, says Apple will sell many more iPods at the lower prices.
But the bigger picture, he says, is the "game of chess" Jobs is playing with competitors.
"Every time he makes these moves with pricing, he makes it more difficult for them catch up," Bajarin says.
Software giant Microsoft has been working with hardware manufacturers such as Creative and Rio to compete with Apple in music by offering players for songs using Microsoft copy protection.
Apple's moves make it even tougher for Microsoft, says Stephen Baker, an analyst at market research firm The NPD Group.
"This leaves them at the mercy of their hardware partners, who are going to be forced to reduce their prices or put in additional features."
Apple shares rose $2.94 Wednesday to close at $88.23. |
| posted by Perimbean @ 4:00 PM |
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This season’s must-have accessory? Your music. Listen in style with iPod mini, from just $199. Like any classic fashion icon, iPod mini goes with everything: Macs, PCs, sequins and tees. And with up to 18 hours of battery life, it’ll outlast the latest trend. Choose from 4GB or 6GB (super)models in kicked-up colors and show off your music collection.
From Runway to Subway
Weighing in at just 3.6 ounces and showing off in three new shades, iPod mini fits your lifestyle and your bag, whether it be cocktail purse or messenger duffle. The chic, matte anodized aluminum case resists stains and scratches, all the while protecting your iPod mini — from, say, the jostle of overzealous paparazzi. Recessed in the case to keep its surface pristine, the 1.67-inch (diagonal) backlit screen displays full song and album titles, artists’ names and more. And iPod mini lasts up to 18 hours on a single charge(1): enough for a transatlantic flight, the limo ride to your hotel and a few solid hours of boutique shopping. Of course, iPod mini works just as well for your everyday pursuits. With up to 25 minutes of skip protection, you can even walk the dog in style.
Music is the New Black
Set your iPod mini to stun with more vibrant color choices to fit every mood (or outfit). Whether you prefer “Pretty in Pink” or “Yer Blues,” iPod mini turns heads with every tune you play. Find the hue that suits you. Love The Clash but hate to clash? Not to worry. Now even the Click Wheel control icons match your iPod mini.
Put on Some Tunes
So light and colorful, iPod mini yearns for the limelight. Indulge in a little scene-stealing yourself when you wear your music on your sleeve...or around your neck. With optional accessories, including a stylish lanyard and mix-and-match armbands, your iPod mini becomes an ensemble essential. Wear it running a trail or walking the red carpet. iPod mini complements any look, from track suit to tiara.
Under Your Thumb
Always striving for perfection, Apple engineers moved the iPod’s buttons under the wheel. The iPod mini Click Wheel — complete with color-coordinated icons — takes best advantage of miniscule space and lets you scroll single-handedly through up to 1,500 songs from your iTunes music collection. You’ll find such thoughtful construction only from Apple. Because, try as they might, the competition can’t touch this.
One-Stop Song Shop
Build a collection of music on your iPod mini with songs downloaded from the iTunes Music Store. Choose from more than one million songs and more than 9,000 audiobooks, any of which you can preview and buy with just one click. The iTunes Music Store stays open 24/7 — right on your Mac or Windows PC. Within a minute of finding a song you like, you can own it. Make unlimited playlists, burn individual songs to CD as many times as you’d like and take all your music with you wherever you and your iPod mini rove.
Sync to Fit
With iTunes 4.7.1 you can easily organize your music on your Mac or Windows PC and automatically transfer it to iPod mini. Whether you’ve imported your CD collection in MP3 format, bought music from the iTunes Music Store or created your own original compositions with GarageBand, you can take it all with you. Your iPod mini includes a USB 2.0 cable for high-speed transfer from your Mac or PC. In fact, you can move an entire album from your computer to your iPod mini in seconds flat. With the industry’s only true Auto-Sync, your iPod mini is always up to date, mirroring the latest changes you’ve made in iTunes. And if the collection on your computer is bigger than iPod mini, you can let iTunes automatically choose a selection of songs to fill it up.
Rechargeable batteries have a limited number of charge cycles and may eventually need to be replaced. Battery life and number of charge cycles vary by use and settings. See www.apple.com/batteries for more information. |
| posted by Perimbean @ 10:00 AM |
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Review: Accessories Dress Up Your IPod
02.23.2005, 05:22 PM
The world's favorite digital hip-hugger, though prized by the music-porting crowd, often feels incomplete. That's why there are add-ons. Lots of them.
Some iPod accessories are about converting the shiny little brick from a personal space-filler to a party animal. Others are simply about style.
Among the most useful is the Bose SoundDock ($300). It cuddles your iPod (full and mini) on the desktop so you can synchronize it with your Mac or PC, charge the player and enjoy the music through its own speakers, which can fill a room with stellar sound.
There's a small remote control as well.
For owners of the special black and red U2 edition iPod, Altec Lansing sells the InMotion audio system ($180) in the same color scheme. It also synchronizes, charges and plays music through built-in speakers and is powered by four AA batteries. You can find it only in Apple Computer stores.
If you want to take your iPod to a picnic and share the tunes with everyone, the iBoom ($150) will do the trick. Slip your iPod (full and mini) into this portable device from Netalog and it becomes a 20-watts-per-channel stereo boombox. The iBoom includes an FM radio with presets.
For the car, there are several FM transmitters that allow the music playing on the iPod to be heard through the car radio. Griffin Technology makes one of the more popular models, the iTrip ($30) and iTrip mini ($40). Simply plug an iTrip into the iPod's earphone jack, select an FM frequency to transmit to, and voila, your music is playing through the clearest station you can tune in.
If you want improved sound for your ears only, Simpl Acoustics makes a stellar amplifier called the A1 ($150) that boosts the sound level coming out of the iPod and into your earphones, or high-end headphones.
The iPod phenomena has since its inception been as much about style as substance. It's been prized for the hearty storage space and easy interaction with the iTunes software.
But the design also matters, and so it was a no brainer that fashionistas would start dressing up their iPods.
You can cloak yours in a rugged rubber "iSport" case from Monster for $20, or wrap it in a 3-pack variety of colored protective cases ($30) from Speck Products. Incase makes a nice line of leather folios for iPods, $30 for pink and $35 for black.
Even the new diminutive iPod Shuffle can be gussied up, thanks to New Hampshire designer and Mac fanatic Liz Hitchcock. She has lent the small flash memory player a few bangles and baubles to make it a wearable-about-the-neck fashion accessory.
Hitchcock's iPod Shuffle couture include little sheaths of purple beads, gray pearls, hematite and pink coral, priced from $35 to $75.
The stylish covers slide out of the way to allow access to the unit's click wheel controls, then revert back into a high-tech necklace.
"It lends itself so well to being worn. It's not big, it's not heavy," Hitchcock said of the .78-ounce Shuffle. She's opened up shop online at www.ipodjewelry.com.
Even videogame accessory maker Nyko Technologies is getting into the iPod act. The Los Angeles-based maker of air-conditioned wireless Xbox game controllers now makes a few novel devices for the iPod - the iTop and MoviePlayer.
Nyko's MoviePlayer plays video files stored on an iPod, which you slide into it, and shows them on a backlit 3.5-inch screen. It has built-in stereo speakers and converts video files into a proprietary format for use on the MoviePlayer.
The Nyko iTop could make life easier for joggers and those who use iPod. It's a small add-on that attaches to the top of the iPod. It has buttons that mimic the controls of the scroll and click wheel on the face of the iPod, making it easier to toggle through tracks while bouncing along a jogging trail or walking with a dog leash in one hand.
Both Nyko products are set to hit store shelves this year. |
| posted by Perimbean @ 8:00 AM |
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| Wednesday, February 23, 2005 |
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Apple releases new iPods, cuts prices
Price of 4-gigabyte iPod mini was cut $50 to $199. A new 6-gigabyte version will sell for $249.
By The Associated Press
CUPERTINO - Apple Computer Inc. today released new versions of its popular iPod digital music player, cutting prices and expanding memory capacities.
The price of the 4-gigabyte iPod mini was cut $50 to $199. A new 6-gigabyte version will sell for $249.
The 60-gigabyte "iPod photo," which can display photos on its small color screen or when connected to a TV set, was cut from $599 to $449. A new 30-gigabyte model for $349 replaces a 40-gigabyte version for $499.
Apple also said it expects to start selling a cable that allows the transfer of photos straight from a digital camera to an iPod photo, eliminating the need for a computer. The iPod Camera Connector is expected to be available in late March for $29.
Apple shares rose $1.21, or 1.4 percent, to $86.50 in early trading Wednesday on the Nasdaq Stock Market. |
| posted by Perimbean @ 11:00 AM |
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| Tuesday, February 22, 2005 |
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"iPods Will Ship Soon With Bluetooth Technology," Says Apple ExecMoto's Bogdan Nedelcou Reveals All
February 22, 2005
Summary
The net is abuzz with expectation as the world's first "wireless iPod" seems to be a step closer after a radio interview given in France by Motorola's manager for automobile products.
The net is abuzz with expectation as the world's first "wireless iPod" seems to be a step closer after a radio interview given to Radio France by Motorola's manager for automobile products.
A report in The Register warns against over-excitement, however, noting that "we're not much wiser than we were before" since already in April 2003 Apple filed a patent that indicated it was thinking along these lines
AppleInsider - from who The Reg got the tipoff - noted: "It's unclear if the device is Apple or Motorola-based."
Should it be called the "BluePod" (since Motorola's Bogdan Nedelcou says that the new wireless version will utilize Bluetooth technology), or the "AirPod," or what? |
| posted by Perimbean @ 3:00 PM |
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Moto exec drops AirPod hint
By Andrew Orlowski
21st February 2005 20:39 GMT
A Motorola executive has hinted that Apple will deliver a wireless iPod. This is hardly a surprise, as wireless transmission technology fulfills the promise of the portable music player, making this solitary, anti-social device into the social hardware it should be.
It's also one of the most popular feature suggestions ever entertained by Register readers (see Apple's Bluepod - Promiscuous Exchanges With Strangers). Once you can stream and exchange songs with your iPod to other people on the move, the device becomes an excuse to meet people, rather than avoid them.
"There are iPods that will ship soon with Bluetooth technology," Bogdan Nedelcou, Motorola's manager for automobile products told a French radio interviewer.
So while Bogdan may soon expect an ear-bashing for his "indiscretion", we're not much wiser than we were before. Last November a patent filed in April 2003 emerged to demonstrate that Apple had indeed been thinking along these lines.
iPod owners already can listen to their songs sans wires in their car, using a third-party, add-in radio attachment such as the Griffin iTrip. At MacWorld Expo last month, Bluetooth add-ons were launched from two companies, Belkin and TEN. But none of them permit the full potential of the technology to meet the ancient human need to share music.
However, we fully expect Apple's wireless iPod to be functionally crippled, with share and stream - the most useful function - severely limited. Apple makes more money in the short-term from iPods and doesn't feel it needs to expend its capital on pursuing a long-term legislative solution. Many in other quarters of the industry - from publishing to consumer electronics - see the need for such a reform. In the long-term, a collective license allows device manufacturers to sell more gear, rights holders to collect money lost to "illegal" P2P networks, and customers to enjoy more music than they ever dreamed of hearing. ® |
| posted by Perimbean @ 7:00 AM |
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| Monday, February 21, 2005 |
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Apple does the digital music Shuffle
Feb. 21, 2005
Apple's competitors have chased the iPod ever since it came out. Just as it looked like they were ready to close the gap, the company sprints away with the pint-sized iPod Shuffle.
The Shuffle may be an iPod at heart, but it marches to the beat of a different drummer.
The original iPod helped bring digital music to the mainstream.
The Shuffle, which starts at $99, has the potential to bring it to the masses. It's small enough. It's light enough. And it's easy enough to use.
Its remarkably small size (.98 by 3.3 by .33 inches) and light weight (.78 ounces) are its strongest features, making it a digital music player you can truly carry around with you all the time.
Apple likes to say it's smaller than a pack of gum, and that is an accurate analogy. This player is so tiny it's easy to forget it's in your pocket, so Apple includes a lanyard to sling it around your neck.
The basic model comes with 512 megabytes of memory, enough space to hold about 120 songs. A 1-gigabyte version costs $150 and can store about twice as much. Both can play for up to 12 hours and need four hours to recharge through a Mac or Windows PC's USB port.
The Shuffle uses flash memory to store songs instead of a hard drive, helping make it light and tough and guaranteeing it will never skip no matter how hard you're running or working out.
The Shuffle is less expensive than its iPod and iPod Mini cousins - partly because it doesn't have an LCD screen to show what song is playing.
You can move through your music one tune at a time using a compact control scheme that includes a volume control, play and pause button.
Instead of downplaying the fact the Shuffle doesn't have a screen, Apple celebrates it.
If you want to be able to immediately jump to the song or album of your choice, get a regular iPod (or one of dozens of competing players).
The Shuffle gives you a new "spontaneous, emotional relationship" with music, said Danika Cleary, senior product manager for the iPod.
Apple promotes this idea of a mysterious free-flowing musical experience in a couple of ways. The Shuffle can be set to either play songs in order or randomly by flicking a sliding switch. A new feature in its iTunes software called "autofill" can randomly select songs from your library every time you connect the player and push them over.
For those who prefer order over chaos, songs can be tagged and transferred and listened to based on their place in line on the playlist.
Something made in a white plastic casing could easily come off looking cheap, but Apple managed to imbue some of the charming iPod class and style into the Shuffle, including smooth curves and a subtle glossy feel on the front.
Cleary declined to say whether Apple is planning to announce any new Shuffle models with more storage space or in different colors.
I think a selection of shades similar to the iPod Mini would make a lot of sense for the Shuffle.
The Shuffle works like any other iPod - it's intuitive and plug-and-play, whether you're using it with an Apple or Windows computer.
It takes several minutes to fill up the Shuffle, and you can have music transferred randomly or choose to have songs that you've given higher ratings to selected more often.
Apple expects the Shuffle to appeal to several audiences, including current iPod owners who want to add one to their collection, and newcomers who will find it less intimidating than players with more features.
Cleary noted that the $99 model is in the price range of teenagers willing to save up their allowance.
"What we've seen so far - and what our hope is - is that we are addressing a whole new set of customers," Cleary said. "We are making it available to people who are not into it yet. These are people still using portable CD players.
"A lot of them see the regular iPod and 10,000 songs and say 'That is not for me,' " she said. "A smaller size makes more sense, and this is an easy way for people to get it." |
| posted by Perimbean @ 11:00 AM |
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Apple's Shuffle ripe for picking
Super-portable iPod, good even for athletic use, winning raves for its AutoFill function.
By Scott Goldman
February 21, 2005
It's really quite ridiculous how simple and effective the new iPod Shuffle is. This variation of the wildly popular digital music player again has launched Apple to the forefront of digital music technology.
Instead of more, more, more -- Apple's usual path to greatness -- they've given us simple, simple, simple.
Part of the simplicity is the Shuffle's size. It's two ounces, the size of a pack of chewing gum. When you attach the lanyard onto the end of the unit, the iPod Shuffle dangles around your neck so lightly you honestly can forget it's there.
The operation of the unit is just as simple and elegant. The one wheel on the front of the unit handles pause, volume, play and skip without any fumbling. Flip it over, and there's one slider that switches between straight play and Shuffle -- which brings us to the coolest aspect of the iPod Shuffle: AutoFill.
With a regular MP3 player or iPod, you choose what songs move into the player. You have the option to do that with the Shuffle, but why would you? Click AutoFill in your iTunes library, and the iPod Shuffle fills up automatically. It can select your favorite songs; it can just do it randomly; or it can select from only a portion of your playlist.
"It's really a new concept. It's the excitement of chance," said Stan Ng, director of iPod product marketing for Apple. "People are really grasping onto that. iPod users told us for years that they loved the Shuffle option, and now they're even more delighted by the randomness of the playlists in the Shuffle."
There's no display on the iPod Shuffle, so there truly is a sense of expectation that comes when a song runs down. What's next? One of my kids' Disney songs? Billy Joel? Shania Twain? A Colts-Patriots highlight? You really don't know, and that just adds to the fun.
"Users really like AutoFill and the fact that the music finds you, rather than you searching for the music," said Ng.
Since the Shuffle's debut last month, demand has been high. As with all things Apple, the new product was available right away -- there just weren't enough of them. Wait times for online orders hit a peak of about 2 to 3 weeks, but supply has started to catch up with demand.
At the Apple Store at the Fashion Mall, iPod Shuffles arrive a couple of times each week, but they only last in the stores about an hour -- at the most.
"We've had a consistent stream of calls every day for the Shuffle," said Ryan McGee, assistant store manager at the Apple Store. "It's all first-come, first-served. It's the only way to keep it fair. But the demand's been outstanding so far, and hasn't slowed down."
The only question, really, for existing iPod owners, is does the Shuffle appeal to them? Have we now hit a market for multiple iPods in one family?
The answer appears to be yes.
"IPod customers, perhaps those with an iPod Photo or an older model, might be looking for something to be more active or for athletic usage, or just for something super-portable," Ng said. "It's just so small and so simple, that we've seen both new users and old being attracted to the Shuffle."
After trying the Shuffle for a week, my old 20GB iPod seemed so 2003. And that's exactly what Apple was hoping for.
Mission accomplished. |
| posted by Perimbean @ 11:00 AM |
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| Thursday, February 17, 2005 |
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Sony to release product to rival Apple's iPod by year-end
NewsStand - Thursday, February 17, 2005
TOKYO (AFX) - Sony Corp said it will release a product by the end of the year to compete with Apple Computer Inc's popular portable digital music player iPod.
"We are confident of being able to offer by the end of the year a product that is much more competitive than the iPod," president Kunitake Ando said.
Ando said Apple's success was in developing a product that is simple to use.
"We have to develop software that makes use of our products more intuitive and simple," he told reporters.
Ando also dismissed rumours the company will buy Apple, saying it "has become too expensive because of the success of iPod."
Chairman and chief executive Nobuyuki Idei added: "We have put in place a very aggressive plan to become number one again" in portable music. |
| posted by Perimbean @ 2:15 PM |
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Apple suspends online hack subpoenas
By Tony Smith
Published Thursday 17th February 2005 13:41 GMT
Apple has agreed to suspend legal action against three journalists who disclosed advance product information against the company's wishes, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) said yesterday.
In December 2004, Apple subpoenaed the three to try to discover the names of individuals who leaked allegedly illegally-obtained information to two news websites. The previous month, PowerPage and AppleInside published stories about 'Asteroid', a still-unreleased Apple device for connecting musical instruments to computers.
Apple's legal action also targeted news site MacNN, which hosts AppleInsider. And the company applied for a subpoena against ISP Nfox.com, seeking emails that it believes will identify PowerPage's sources.
But last night the EFF, an internet rights group, said Apple had agreed to suspend the requests, eWeek reports.
Apple has not commented on the lawsuits - or responded to the barrage of criticism fired its way, particularly for its sideways attack on NFox.com.
"Rather than confronting the issue of reporter's privilege head-on, Apple is going to this journalist's ISP for his emails," said EFF staff attorney Kurt Opsahl in a statement. "This undermines a fundamental, First Amendment right that protects all reporters. If the court lets Apple get away with this, and exposes the confidences gained by these reporters, potential confidential sources will be deterred from providing information to the media, and the public will lose a vital outlet for independent news, analysis, and commentary."
Apple's tactics call into question how far the law can be used to overcome a journalist's right to protect his or her sources, and US online publications' right to the same protections afforded to older media.
Apple is also suing website Think Secret for publishing details of its Mac Mini product ahead of the compact computer's introduction in January. The company claims the publication of the leaked information caused it financial injury, and is seeking compensation.
Apple has long fought a battle of wits with websites and paper publications - including a number of well-known pro-Mac newsstand titles, not to mention the online organ you're reading now - that report and comment upon unannounced Apple products. ® |
| posted by Perimbean @ 11:00 AM |
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IPod and MP3 player ownership soars
Broadband users most likely to be MP3 fans, finds survey
Steve Ranger, vnunet.com 17 Feb 2005
One in 10 US adults, about 22 million people, owns an iPod or MP3 player, according to a survey by the Pew Internet and American Life Project.
There were likely to be several million more MP3 players owned by younger music fans, but the project did not survey teens in its poll.
The survey found that men are more likely to have iPods or MP3 players than women, at 14 per cent and nine per cent respectively.
One in five Americans under the age of 30 have music players, compared to 14 per cent in the 30-39 and 40-48 age groups.
The poll of 2,000 people also found that MP3 players are gadgets for the rich, unsurprisingly given the price tag.
A quarter of people living in households earning more than $75,000 (£40,000) owned portable music players, while only six per cent of people living in households earning less than $30,000 (£16,000) are owners.
Those who use the internet are four times as likely as non-internet users to have iPods or MP3 players, probably because internet users can get much of the music they enjoy online, according to Pew.
Broadband access is strongly associated with ownership of iPods and MP3 players, with 23 per cent of broadband-enabled households also owning music players, compared to nine per cent of those on dial-up connections.
Consumers with broadband at home and at work are the most likely of all to have iPods or MP3 players, with one in three owning the devices.
Two thirds of UK teenagers know the price of an iPod, but three quarters have no idea about the price of a pint of milk, according to separate research by ICM. |
| posted by Perimbean @ 11:00 AM |
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| Wednesday, February 16, 2005 |
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Apple Preps Tiger for June Conference
By Nate Mook, BetaNews
February 16, 2005, 10:22 AM
Apple has set the stage for its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) to take place June 6 to 10 in San Francisco. The primary focus of WWDC will be to showcase the upcoming release of Mac OS X 10.4, known as Tiger. Developers will get their first hands-on experience with the new operating system, along with programming guidance.
"You'll get the in-depth knowledge, hands-on instruction and one-on-one support you need to deliver products and solutions that transform the way your users work, play, search, and share on a Mac," Apple says of the conference.
Development of Tiger has progressed more rapidly in the last few weeks, with Apple issuing new beta builds to its testers. The main new features of Tiger that Apple has targeted for developers are Spotlight and Dashboard.
Spotlight is the new search technology baked into Mac OS X that utilizes an indexed database, which contains the contents and meta-data of every file on the system. Apple has designed Spotlight to instantly pull up search results from any location, be it e-mail, music or iChat logs.
Tiger is also set to include special "Widgets," or mini-applications that perform simple tasks, such as displaying weather or controlling Apple's iTunes. They reside in a layer atop the Mac OS X desktop called the Dashboard. Dashboard appears with the press of a button and disappears just as easily.
Apple has called on developers to design Widgets for Tiger, which are based on simple CSS and JavaScript. The company held a contest earlier this year, offering up a 40GB iPod to the winner.
But WWDC won't run cheap for developers looking to tackle Tiger. Early registration starts at $1,295 USD, and jumps to $1,595 after April 22. |
| posted by Perimbean @ 12:00 PM |
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Apple posts Worldwide Developers Conference 2005 pricing and registration informationWednesday, February 16, 2005 - 09:43 AM EST
Apple has announced the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2005 will be held June 6-10 in San Francisco, CA with the theme of "Spotlight on Innovation."
With its unique integration of breakthrough technologies, open standards, and robust development tools, Mac OS X Tiger is the platform for unparalleled developer innovation. At the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference 2005, June 6-10 in San Francisco, you'll get the in-depth knowledge, hands-on instruction and one-on-one support you need to deliver products and solutions that transform the way your users work, play, search, and share on a Mac.
At WWDC 2005, you'll get in-depth information and practical coding guidance, delivered in person from Apple's own engineers and technical staff. They will deliver a full-spectrum experience: information-rich presentations, expert-led coding sessions, and hands-on labs where your code will get personal attention.
Harness the potential of Tiger and the entire Apple platform. Come to WWDC 2005 to work one-on-one with Apple engineers and industry luminaries and learn how to:
• Become a Tiger Technology Expert. Dig deep into the innovative technologies that power Mac OS X v10.4 Tiger, the next major release of Mac OS X. At WWDC 2005, you'll work directly with Apple engineers to explore and exploit Tiger development opportunities such as Spotlight, Dashboard, Core Data, Core Image, Core Video, and more.
• Optimize your code for maximum performance. Discover new tools and techniques for accelerating your application, reducing its memory footprint, and enhancing its user experience.
• Take your app to the next level. Master the best practices for choosing and using the APIs, tools, and technologies that will make your app stand out from the competition
• Take advantage of the Mac's platform integration opportunities. Learn how your application can integrate with and make the most of the applications, technologies, and services built into Mac OS X.
• Leverage digital media in your apps. Get expert guidance on how your application can exploit the awesome digital media capabilities built into Mac OS X.
• Strengthen your IT skills and understanding of Apple enterprise solutions. Extend your Java, Unix, database, and scripting skills, learn about the latest technologies like Xgrid and Xsan, and get the inside track on developing and deploying enterprise solutions on the Apple platform.
WWDC offers practical information and guidance designed to meet the needs of the diverse communities that develop and deploy on the Apple platform:
• Commercial software and hardware developers
• In-house enterprise application developers
• Web developers and scripters
• IT managers and staff
• System administrators
• Scientists and researchers
• Developers of application plug-ins and extensions
Apple's Conference E-tickets are regularly priced at US$1,595 (after April 22). Early Registration will save you $300 as tickets are priced at $1,295 (before April 22). No word from Apple on how much tickets will cost if you buy them on April 22nd. |
| posted by Perimbean @ 10:00 AM |
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| Tuesday, February 15, 2005 |
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Apple PowerSchool ships Premier
By Macworld staff
Apple's PowerSchool division has announced PowerSchool Premier.
PowerSchool makes Web-based student information systems for US schools. The new Premier product has been developed for schools wanting a scalable SQL database.
PowerSchool president Bob Longo said: "Student information systems are transforming from closed back-end administrative systems to dynamic decision-support systems. What were simple forms of automation and reporting must currently meet more complex operational and instructional requirements."
PowerSchool Premier is Web-based and hardware independent. It's compliant with the Schools Interoperability Framework (SIF).
Because it uses Open Database Connectivity (ODBC), using the product means school districts can easily integrate applications, create sophisticated reports, and tailor instruction to suit individual pupil requirements. |
| posted by Perimbean @ 10:00 AM |
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Apple polishes up for its second coming
By Graeme Philipson
February 15, 2005
Many times over the past few years I have written about Apple in this column. I have never criticised the company's technology, which has been brilliant for nearly 30 years, but I have often highlighted its arrogance, its poor management, and its declining market share.
For pointing out the obvious, and daring to speak the truth, I have been roundly castigated by Apple fans (let us remember that word derives from "fanatics").
Apple users are a very loyal bunch, and all too often their loyalty runs over into abuse of non-believers. Adherents of the One True Faith - whichever One True Faith that is - they habitually confuse opinion with fact, objectivity with subjectivity, and critique with criticism.
The religious metaphor is appropriate, given the fervour with which many Apple devotees maintain the faith. The fact that Apple has been able to retain any users at all, and that those users have remained so true, is testament to how innovative Apple's technology has been all these years.
But Apple has faltered badly on many fronts. It has virtually disappeared in the commercial world. Ten years ago, Apple was widely used across the board - major Australian users who had standardised on Apple as a desktop platform included Optus, Pioneer Concrete, and the Australian Submarine Corporation.
That's just a few I have dragged out of my organic memory banks - there were many others. The major accountancy firms used Macs, and so did the analysts at Gartner, the world's premier IT market research company.
During the '90s, they all moved away. As Microsoft Windows became better, and the range of applications software available on that platform become so much wider, and as the price differential between Apple and its cheaper competitors continued to mount, it became increasingly difficult for users to justify the premium they were paying for the Mac.
Apple met this decline with a kind of haughty disdain. "If they're not smart enough to realise that we're better, then they don't deserve to be our customers" seemed to be the attitude. Apple's refusal to license its technology to other players ensured that the One True Faith remained unsullied by false prophets, heretics and schismatics.
Apple's market share continued to decline, to the base of about 3 per cent of the total microcomputer market it is at today. It is relatively strong in graphic design, in academia, in the scientific community, and among people who continue to delight in its excellent design and vastly superior operating environment. We might call these people the Apple core.
Now, Apple is flavour of the month once more. Its market share, in microcomputers at least, remains below the market researcher's margin of statistical error, but it is winning on other fronts.
The remarkable success of the iPod has propelled Apple to market prominence, to the extent that it was last month named the world's leading brand in a poll of marketing executives, outpolling Google and perennial favourites such as Coca-Cola and IBM.
Like millions of others, I am a proud iPod owner. Being able to take every piece of music I own with me wherever I go has changed my life. Apple is basking in the "halo effect" of the iPod, and many who would not previously have considered a Mac are now doing so.
I am one of these. Owing to a realignment of certain business activities, I find myself the proud owner of two Macintoshes. I would never consider them as my primary computer, because the Windows world is so much bigger and offers so much more, but for some functions they cannot be surpassed.
iLife, Apple's excellent multimedia software, is worth the price of admission alone.
Especially good is GarageBand, a music synthesiser that leaves those in the Windows world for dead.
Marry that to the Mac's role as the repository of iPod songs, and iLife's other functions, and Microsoft's clunky Media Center is shown up for the second-rate technology it is.
Apple will do well in the emerging home-entertainment server market. The new Mac mini is tailor-made for this role.
I am happy to see Apple back. My basic views on the company have not changed, except that I now believe it will survive, and even prosper. Its elegant operating system will never supplant Microsoft Windows, and its beautiful hardware will never replace the beige boxes that clutter our homes and offices.
But it remains an alternative, and God knows, the world needs one.
There was a time, about 15 or 20 years ago, when it looked like the desktop world might split into four or so competing camps - Microsoft DOS, IBM OS/2, Apple Macintosh and desktop Unix. It didn't happen, and Microsoft swept all before it. Apple survived, though only just.
That survival, and its current resurgence, is as instructive a story as Apple's original success with the Apple II back in the 1970s. Apple's story since then has been one of missed opportunities, corporate stupidity and broken dreams as much as it has been about technological excellence.
But, as they say, that was then and this is now. Apple is riding high at the moment. What will the next decade bring?
graeme[at]philipson.info |
| posted by Perimbean @ 10:00 AM |
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| Monday, February 14, 2005 |
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Apple Specialist Resellers Report Tight Supply of New Products
by Misha Sakellaropoulo,
Apple resellers are reporting solid sales of new PowerBooks and Mac minis but have yet to receive any iPod shuffles, brokerage house PiperJaffray told clients in a research note today.
"Initial inquiries for the PowerBook updates are in line with reseller expectations," said Gene Munster, senior research analyst. "That said, the majority of resellers believe that the update to the PowerBook line will add demand that they would not have expected if there had not be an update to the PowerBook line this quarter."
PiperJaffray believes that many potential PowerBook customers are still waiting for a G5-based laptop, but the firm doesn't expect one to arrive at any time in 2005.
Most of the 10 Apple specialist resellers PiperJaffray spoke to had received several Mac minis and feel that interest is "fairly strong, but are expecting more significant demand when Apple increases its marketing of the product."
Resellers reported very strong demand for the iPod shuffle, but to date none had received any shipments of the miniature music players. "Big demand, zero supply," one reseller said, while another added that they "would sell 25 shuffles right now I had them."
Last week, PiperJaffray surveyed all of Apple's retail stores and found that none had any Mac mini or iPod shuffles in stock, with strong demand for both.
PiperJaffray maintains an "Outperform" rating on Apple, with a $100 price target. |
| posted by Perimbean @ 12:15 PM |
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Apple, Sony sued over DRM in France
Published: February 14, 2005, 10:26 AM PST
By Jo Best
Special to CNET News.com
Apple Computer and Sony are to appear in court over claims that their respective music download sites have been deceitful and have forced consumers to buy products because they are tied together.
French consumer association Union Federale des Consommateurs-Que Choisir has launched legal action over the two companies' proprietary music formats, claiming that the respective digital rights management used by both Sony and Apple, which prevent songs bought from their online music shops from being played on other manufacturers' media players, is limiting consumers' choice.
The consumer group announced that it would take legal action against the pair after conducting interoperability tests last year between a selection of download services and digital music players. The group criticized the two companies' lack of interoperable DRM.
"The total absence of interoperability between DRM removes not only consumers' power to independently choose their purchase and where they buy it from but also constitutes a significant restraint on the free circulation of creative works," the group said.
Despite railing against Microsoft's similar locked-down stance on interoperability during its compatibility testing and indicating that the company was in its legal sights, UFC-Que Choisir has not filed suit against the Redmond, Wash.-based software behemoth.
The suit was filed against Sony France and Sony United Kingdom, as well as Apple's French unit and its iTunes Music Store. Apple's case will be heard in a Court of First Instance in Paris; Sony's will be held in a Nanterre court. Both cases are expected to be heard later this year.
Apple declined to comment. Sony did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
This isn't the first time the issue of interoperability in music has made its way through the French legal system.
Recently, VirginMega, a subsidiary of Virgin Group, brought an anticompetition case against Apple before the French Competition Council. The case was rejected late last year. |
| posted by Perimbean @ 11:15 AM |
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Apple Honors GRAMMY Award Winning Artists
GRAMMY Award Winning Music Specially Priced on the iTunes Music Store
CUPERTINO, California —February 14, 2005—In recognition of the tremendous achievements of this year’s GRAMMY award winning artists, Apple® is offering special pricing on all albums that include a GRAMMY award winning track on the iTunes® Music Store in the US. The iTunes Music Store has been an integral part of this year’s GRAMMY awards with previews and downloads for voting members of the academy, a showcase for nominees and winners, and the exclusive online music distributor of the live version of “Across the Universe.”
“We want to extend our congratulations to all of the GRAMMY nominees and winners,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “We’re thrilled to be able to honor the industry’s top artists by showcasing their award winning music on the iTunes Music Store.”
Starting today, all albums on the iTunes Music Store that include a GRAMMY award winning track can be downloaded for $2 off its original cost, which brings the price of most albums down to $7.99. The special version of "Across the Universe" performed live during the CBS GRAMMY telecast by leading artists including Bono, Stevie Wonder, Norah Jones, Alicia Keys, Velvet Revolver, Tim McGraw and Brian Wilson is also available as a 99 cent download exclusively on the iTunes Music Store in the US and Canada, with all proceeds going to the Southeast Asia tsunami relief efforts.
With Apple’s legendary ease of use, pioneering features such as iMix playlist sharing, seamless integration with iPod® and groundbreaking personal use rights, the iTunes Music Store is the best way for Mac® and PC users to legally discover, purchase and download music online. The iTunes Music Store features more than one million songs from the major music companies and 600 independent record labels, over 9,000 audiobooks, gift certificates and exclusive music not found anywhere else online.
Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning desktop and notebook computers, OS X operating system, and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital music revolution with its iPod portable music players and iTunes online music store. |
| posted by Perimbean @ 10:00 AM |
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HP marketing executive heading to Apple
By Tom Krazit, IDG News Service
Hewlett-Packard Co.'s (HP's) top marketing executive is leaving the company less than a week after the departure of HP Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Carly Fiorina, an HP spokeswoman said Monday.
Allison Johnson, senior vice president of corporate marketing, resigned on Feb. 4, a company spokeswoman said. She was asked by the board of directors to stay with HP through its fourth-quarter earnings report and the announcement of Fiorina's dismissal, the spokeswoman said. Her last day with the company will be Friday.
Apple has hired Johnson to become vice president of worldwide marketing communications, reporting directly to Apple Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs, an Apple spokesman said. She will focus on Apple's advertising and marketing communications around the world, the Apple spokesman said.
Johnson has been the top executive responsible for HP's corporate marketing, advertising and media relations tasks since the company merged with Compaq in 2002, according to HP. She first joined HP in 1999 after previous positions with IBM Corp. and Netscape Communications Corp.
After the Fiorina-led decision to purchase Compaq was made final in 2002, Johnson was entrusted with changing HP's corporate image from a printer company to a global IT hardware conglomerate. HP has also dramatically expanded its consumer marketing in an attempt to push into a growing world of consumer electronics products, such as digital cameras and music players.
A replacement has not yet been identified, the HP spokeswoman said.
HP's new chief executive will have several marketing-related decisions to hash out, including how to boost PC sales and how best to position the company against the likes of IBM Corp. and Dell Inc. Analysts credited Fiorina with reviving HP's brand and image following the Compaq acquisition, but faulted her for failing to capitalize on the combined strengths of HP and Compaq products. |
| posted by Perimbean @ 10:00 AM |
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| Monday, February 07, 2005 |
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Napster competes with Apple's iTunes
2/7/2005
Napster recently announced its Paid Subscription service which will allow users to download thousands of MP3 songs at a very low price. Napster has now become a legal music site. Napster started as a File Swapping tool for internet, but soon was served copyrights voilation notices by many companies and artists. Apple's iTunes made a great year by making record sales and downloads of online music. Napster will provide a better and larger collection of music at just $15 per month. Napster came up with the plans to get its pie from the user base of Apple's iTunes with the launch of a massive ad campaign.
Napster offers a subscription music service. For $15 a month users can choose from a library of 1 million songs. Apple charges 99 cents per download, which is quite high compared to Napster's service. And in addition, Napster has a bigger collection.
Alan Cohen was very confident to uproot Apple's iTunes with their current offerings. Alan is chief marketing officer for Napster.
Infact, compared to the price one pays to download a single music file using Apple, Napster's $15 is no amount at all.
Apple has signed a 'bottle cap promotion' deal with Pepsi offering 200 million free songs and 1700 free iPod mini players. Motorola was keen on joining the Online Music industry and provide better services to their existing customers. Motorola signed a licensing deal with Apple which makes their iTunes technology compatible with the Motorola cell phones. This could give an extra edge to Motorola.
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| posted by Perimbean @ 3:00 PM |
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| Sunday, February 06, 2005 |
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Tools Of The Trade: The Apple Mac Mini
By Stephen Pritchard
06 February 2005
Apple's Macintosh computers have just a small percentage of the total market for PCs: analysts put their share at under 5 per cent. But the company dominates the market for portable music players, with its iPod.
The Mac Mini, newly launched, is Apple's attempt to capture some of the interest generated by the iPod and use that to drive computer sales. The com- pany also hopes to recapture some of the excitement that followed the launch of the original iMac. Subsequent iMacs have been excellent, but their relatively high price limits their appeal.
The Mac Mini tackles the price issue head-on. For £339 (including VAT), Apple offers buyers a neat, two-inch-tall box, not much larger than a CD. This comes equipped with a 40GB hard drive, a 1.25Ghz G4 processor and 256MB memory on the basic model.
This is not a specification to set the pulse racing, but Apple is sticking to tried and tested technology with the aim of making a reliable, low-cost computer. Costs are pared back further by selling the Mini without a keyboard, mouse or monitor. Buyers simply add their own, with Apple expecting ex-Windows users, who already own a PC monitor, to account for a sizeable percentage of sales.
The appeal of the Mini, though, lies in Apple's design and engineering know-how as well as its software. It has a slot-loading rather than tray-loading CD rewriter, for example, making for a very tidy facade. And putting the power supply in a laptop-style brick reduces the need for cooling in the Mini. Apple appears to have designed the unit with the living room in mind as much as the office.
The included software, though, is what really counts. The machine comes with Mac OS 10.3 and the iLife 05 suite of multimedia applications. For Mac users, buying a Mini might well be better value than upgrading their current machines; the software, on its own, would cost £160. And for the home user, the iLife software is quite special, with the Garageband music package standing out for its features and ease of use.
For work purposes, the Mini runs the Mac version of the Microsoft Office suite perfectly well, although the basic version will struggle with more demanding applications such as digital video. Businesses, though, might want to look at the Mac Mini because Apple's operating system is based on Unix, with all the security advantages that entails. Macs are also easy to use and less vulnerable to viruses than Windows PCs.
For some applications, such as accessing corporate information over the internet, the Mac Mini is cheap and effective. Home users picking it as their main machine will want to spend more. Apple's review units all came with 512MB memory, which really helps, and Bluetooth keyboards and mice, which are a delight to use. But to use them, you have to order the Mac Mini from Apple's own store, as there is no way to add an internal Bluetooth module later.
Buyers seeking a complete system, rather than buying a Mini to replace an existing computer, should shop around; several Mac dealers are bund- ling the Mini with a flat screen, mouse and keyboard at an attractive price.
THE VERDICT
Pros: design, price.
Cons: the basic model is quite basic; a full system will cost more.
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Price: from £339. |
| posted by Perimbean @ 3:00 PM |
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| Friday, February 04, 2005 |
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UIUC's 640-node Xserve cluster wins on price, speed
By Peter Cohen
The new Turing Xserve Cluster at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) is the one of the latest large-scale high speed computing systems to use Apple's Xserve G5. The director in charge of the program said the decision to use Apple hardware and software made sense based on price, performance, compatibility, efficiency and support.
The Turing Xserve Cluster -- named after Alan Turing, the famed British mathematician credited with founding the field of Computer Science -- is a 640-node system that uses 2GHz dual-processor Xserve G5s, Apple's rack-mounted server. Running Mac OS X v10.3 Server, the systems talk using Myrinet's Myricom networking hardware. In addition to local storage on each Xserve, the system also uses an Apple Xserve RAID system that provides a total of seven terabytes (TB) of storage.
UIUC's Computational Science & Engineering (CSE) Program plans to use the Turing Xserve Cluster to do the heavy lifting for the University's computational research efforts, according to Michael Heath, Director of Computational Science and Engineering for UIUC.
"We needed as much capacity as we could get," Heath told MacCentral. "We do very large scale simulations for rockets, for example. It's a first-rate place to do computational research, and we wanted a first-rate environment in which to do that."
Heath said Apple ultimately won out over other competitors based on the Xserve's performance, affordability, and a number of other features the University felt was important.
Speedy, cool and efficient
The Turing Xserve Cluster replaces a previously installed 208-node Linux-based system. Heath told MacCentral that the new Xserve-based system provides solid benefits over its predecessor. "We're seeing a tenfold increase in computing power," said Heath.
Another attractive feature was the Xserve cluster's power and cooling requirements. "We already knew we were going to have to upgrade our computer room to accommodate the new systems, but Apple's Xserve solution was more efficient by a factor of two than other competitive systems," said Heath.
Heath is reluctant to provide specific benchmarks for the Turing Xserve Cluster at this point. "It's a little early to do things like run a Linpack benchmark," said Heath, referring to a method used to measure the floating-point speed of a computing system. Linpack benchmarks have been used over the years to gauge the performance of high speed clusters and supercomputing systems.
Heath added that a "back of the envelope computation" yields a theoretical performance of about 10 teraflops, though he admits the system is working well below that level right now. "There are a lot of optimizations that we can do yet," Heath added. "But the system is still too new and it's too soon to have done that."
'The Ultimate in Compatibility'
UIUC put together the system in just a couple of months. Though renovations to the computer room where the Turing Xserve Cluster took longer than the University expected for reasons unrelated to the Xserve, the room was ready for the new hardware in late November. Preliminary testing occurred in January, and Heath said that the Turing Xserve Cluster has been running since then. "... Though we're just getting our first real users now," he said.
UIUC has a history with Apple. Qualcomm's Eudora -- one of the first Internet e-mail clients for the Macintosh -- got its start there in the late 1980s, the work of Steve Dorner. UIUC is also the home of the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA), where Marc Andreessen and Eric Bina created Mosaic, the first graphical Web browser -- available almost from the start for the Mac, and laying the groundwork for what would ultimately lead to Netscape Navigator. This long connection with Apple certainly worked in the company's favor when it came time to evaluate a new computing cluster, according to Heath.
"There's certainly a comfort level with Apple borne of a number of years of experience," Heath said, adding that he uses a desktop Macintosh and a PowerBook. "Having a cluster system based on Macs is the ultimate in compatibility," said Heath.
Also working in the Xserve's favor is Mac OS X's basis as a Unix operating system. "The learning curve is much shorter than it would be otherwise," said Heath. "Our users are all used to various flavors of Unix, so coming to grips with Mac OS X Server is totally natural for all of them." Heath added that Apple's support for industry standards and use of open source components also factored positively into UIUC's decision to go with the Xserve.
Heath said that he couldn't be happier with Apple's support before, during and after the installation process. It's like night and day compared to the old system.
"You know the Linux world," said Heath. "You are totally on your own. You're getting your operating system and hardware from at least two different sources. This is much more integrated."
Apple is participating in weekly conference calls with the University to make sure the Turing Xserve Cluster is working well and meeting the center's needs. "We've been very impressed with their continued interest and involvement," said Heath.
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| posted by Perimbean @ 9:00 AM |
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Napster taking on Apple's hot iTunes
By PHYLLIS FURMAN
Napster is back - and ready to take on Apple's super popular iTunes music store.
The once rogue file sharing service unveiled a legit digital music emporium yesterday that will let fans download all the songs they want for a monthly subscription fee of $14.95.
Napster thinks it can make a dent in the seemingly unstoppable iTunes, which now controls 70% of the digital music market.
Since its launch, iTunes has sold more than 250 million songs. The Apple service charges 99 cents per song.
But Napster thinks its all-that-you-want, flat monthly fee is a better deal, though its customers can't make permanent copies of their songs. On iTunes you can make permanent copies.
The new Napster To Go will get a $30 million marketing push starting this Sunday with an ad on the Super Bowl.
The commercial will tell music fans to "Do the Math," pointing out that they can either pay $15 a month for 10,000 songs on Napster or shell out $10,000 for 10,000 songs from iTunes.
"Napster To Go provides infinitely greater value and is much more exciting than iTunes pay-per-download model," said Napster chairman Chris Gorog. "This is what consumers want."
Napster will let shoppers know which MP3 players are compatible with its digital store by stamping its logo on those products.
The service will work with portable music players from Creative Technology, Dell and iRiver, but not Apple's own super-selling iPods.
Napster's entry into the market comes as the digital music market is heating up in a big way.
Others are planning to jump in with similar services, including RealNetworks and Virgin Digital.
Music retailer Trans World Entertainment recently launched its own $15-a-month portable subscription service in partnership with MusicNet.
But Napster won't be the only online music store at the Super Bowl.
Apple has partnered with Pepsi for a big promotion.
They will have two commercials pitching a bottle cap contest that will offer 200 million free songs from iTunes and 1,700 free iPod mini players.
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| posted by Perimbean @ 8:00 AM |
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Apple Introduces iLife '05
By Ron Eggers
February 4, 2005 — Apple Computer recently debuted iLife '05, an award-winning suite of digital lifestyle applications, which includes new versions of iMovie, iDVD and GarageBand applications, as well as the popular iPhoto image organizing, editing and sharing software.
Of particular interest to photographers is iPhoto 5, which includes advanced editing tools that adjust exposure, black and white points, saturation, tint, color temperature and sharpness. The upgraded software includes a histogram display and has a very intuitive method for straightening images. It supports uncompressed RAW photos through the entire editing process.
iPhoto 5 also has a new advanced slideshow builder that lets users add effects, transitions and durations to individual slides. It supports the creation of affordable (as low as $3.99) hardcover and softcover photo books, including new book layouts, double-sided printing, and the ability to order books online from within the application. The latest version of iPhoto also cuts the price of ordering individual 4" x 6" prints in half, from 39 cents to 19 cents each.
iLife '05 has a suggested retail price of $79 through the Apple Store at www.apple.com. It requires Mac OS X v10.3.4 or later, QuickTime 6.5.2 or later, a Macintosh computer with PowerPC G3 (400 MHz or faster), G4, or G5 processor, 256MB or more physical RAM (512MB recommended) and a 1024x768 or larger display. GarageBand requires a 600 MHz G3 processor or faster.
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| posted by Perimbean @ 8:00 AM |
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| Wednesday, February 02, 2005 |
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Apple replaces Google as the top brand of the year
While Google itself had a rocking last year, Apple seems to have impressed the people more around the world when compared to the search engine giant. Apple has redefined the way people and tech critics looked at it. From a company which made expensive computers which few people used… it now sells more than a million songs on their digital music store daily and people are crazy about their products like iPod and iMac. The recent launches in Mac Mini and iPod Shuffle is directly aimed at budget segment and can do wonders for Apple.
Latest news in as a result is not much of a surprise. A poll that asked the top branding professionals in the world about the top brand currently in the world ended up declaring Apple as the winner. It replaced Google from the top when we look at the polls of last year. The survey took the opinions of around 2,000 brand managers, ad executives, and academics and surprised everyone when the results were announced. Much in controversy, the news channel Al Jazeera came it at 5th place.
Ikea and Starbucks took the places between Apple/Google and Al Jazeera to complete the top five. Another surprise was EBay entering the top 10 now with a subtle ninth position. Other brands filling the top 10 were Mini, Virgin, and Nokia. Coca-Cola came at a low 10th. The topper for the polls considering Asia-Pacific brands had Sony at the top, which is now in direct competition to Apple in the digital music player market.
Ikea took the honors for the most famous brand in the European market in the latest results. Virgin, H&M, Nokia, Al Jazeera, Mini, Puma, Zara, BBC, and Audi followed it to complete the European top 10.
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| posted by Perimbean @ 8:00 AM |
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Apple Expenses Tiger's $19.3 Million R&D Costs, Filing Shows
By Brad Gibson
The Mac Observer
Apple said it had layed off 415 employees by the end of 2004, and will let go of another 60 people by the end of March. Apple said the terminations would cost the company $14 million in severance expenses. Apple revealed in the quarterly report that warranty costs for the fiscal first quarter soared from $21 million to $35 million.
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| posted by Perimbean @ 8:00 AM |
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