|
| Friday, April 29, 2005 |
|
Apple sets Tiger free on public
Apple is releasing the Tiger update to its core operating system today.
The package is the fourth upgrade for Apple's OS X software since it was launched in 2001. OS X is the base operating system for Mac machines.
Fans were queuing up at Apple stores around the world to be among the first to get their hands on the update.
Among the 200 new features in Tiger are a powerful desktop search system called Spotlight and a set of reference tools called Dashboard.
Tool chest
The Spotlight tool creates an index of all the files on an Apple computer and peers inside documents and other files to get information about their contents.
The tools lets people create smart folders that keep track of all the items included in them even if files are moved or have their names changed.
Spotlight searches can also be saved and turned into folders that run when they are clicked on.
Another anticipated feature is Dashboard which brings together lots of tools, given the name widgets, that perform lots of reference tasks.
Dashboard widgets include a dictionary, stock information, weather reports, phone book, translator and flight checker. Users will also be able to create their own widgets.
Also included is the iChat system that lets people set up video conferencing with up to 3 other people.
The server version of Tiger also has basic blogging tools built in that could be used by companies to let employees write their own web journals.
The last update for OSX, known as Panther, was released in December 2003.
Many of the features found in Tiger are expected to be in Microsoft's next version of Windows known as Longhorn. However, Longhorn is not expected to be available until late 2006. |
| posted by Perimbean @ 7:00 PM |
|
|
|
| Tuesday, April 19, 2005 |
|
Apple Unveils New Final Cut Studio
At the National Association of Broadcasters convention yesterday, Apple Computer announced a new version of its Final Cut Studio.
The new upgraded video production software suite will include all the previous features of Final Cut 5 along with Soundtrack Pro, a new audio editing and sound design application; Motion 2, the world’s first real-time motion graphics application; and DVD Studio Pro 4, the first commercially available DVD authoring software that burns high definition DVDs to the latest HD DVD specification.
"The arrival of Final Cut Studio ushers in a new era of high definition video production that relies on effortless integration of video, audio and effects to elevate production values," said Rob Schoeben, Apple's vice president of Applications Marketing. "Final Cut Studio allows producers to edit in a broad range of HD formats, add stunning motion graphics, sculpt the perfect soundtrack and burn their projects to high def DVDs."
Final Cut Studio, which is slated for release next month, will carry a price of $1,299. An upgrade from an earlier version will cost $699. |
| posted by Perimbean @ 6:30 PM |
|
|
|
|
|
Apple Admits Some Safari Problems with OS X 10.3.9
"If this issue affects your computer, you will get the the message, "Segmentation fault"," Apple said. "If you don't see this, your computer is not affected by this issue," the document read. To resolve the issue, Apple suggests users install or re-install Java 1.4.2 Update 2 and/or Security Update 2005-002.
Users of Mac OS X 10.3.9 may experience problems with Java applications and Java-enabled Web sites when using Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL) Safari Web browser, the company said in a online support article.
Apple said, "Safari may unexpectedly quit, and standalone Java applications may unexpectedly quit or not launch."
Test Procedure
To test if the problems affect a Mac system with OS X 10.3.9, Apple recommends running the Terminal applications, which resides inside in the Utilities folder, which is in the Applications folder. After running the app, type 'java -version' (without quote marks) and press Return.
"If this issue affects your computer, you will get the the message, "Segmentation fault"," Apple said.
How To Solve Problem
"If you don't see this, your computer is not affected by this issue," the document read.
To resolve the issue, Apple suggests users install or re-install Java 1.4.2 Update 2 and/or Security Update 2005-002, which are linked and available for download. |
| posted by Perimbean @ 3:45 PM |
|
|
|
| Tuesday, April 12, 2005 |
|
Mac OS X Server v10.4 also to ship on April 29
Apple on Tuesday announced the pending release of Mac OS X Server v10.4 "Tiger." The company expects to ship the software at the same time as the client version of Mac OS X v10.4 -- April 29, 2005.
Featuring many of the same enhancements that can be found in the client software, Mac OS X Server v10.4 also touts a number of additional improvements, such as the integration of more than 100 open source projects and standards-based software applications and 64-bit addressing, which makes it possible for server applications to address larger amounts of memory than they could before.
iChat Server is a new feature of Mac OS X Server v10.4. The software lets administrators deploy their own instant messaging within an intranet. It supports SSL/TSL encryption, works with Apple's iChat conferencing software, and is compatible with open source Jabber clients available for Windows, Linux and various PDAs.
Also new in this release is Weblog Server, which simplifies the publication of Weblogs. It provides users with the ability to publish and syndicate their Web content using existing Web browsers, including Apple's own Safari software. Features include calendar-based navigation, user and group blogs and HTML, RSS, RSS2, RDF and ATOM protocols, as well as "Apple-designed blog themes." Weblog Server can also integrate with Open Directory, LDAP and access control lists for authentication.
Mac OS X Server v10.4 also touts Xgrid, a distributed computing technology which can turn groups of Macs on the networking into a "virtual supercomputer." Xgrid assists in assembling nodes, submitting jobs and retrieving results once data have been processed -- it's suitable for scientific computing, animation and rendering and digital content creation.
Other new features include support for Access Control Lists and native file permissions of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 Active Directory environments; a Software Update Server that lets administrators host their own proxy or cache server to control the availability of Apple's own software updates; Adaptive Junk Mail Filtering with virus detection and quarantine; Gateway Setup Assistant, used to set up network services for small businesses including DHCP, NAT, DNS, port routing and more; and Ethernet Link Aggregation and Network Interface Failover with support for the IEEE 802.3ad standard, which allows for multiple hardware network interfaces to appear as a single interface.
Look for Mac OS X Server v10.4 to be available on April 29 for US$499 for a 10-client edition or $999 for an unlimited-client edition. Subscribers to the Apple Maintenance Program will get Tiger Server for free; anyone who purchases a new Xserve G5 on or after April 12, 2005 can get Tiger Server for $9.95.
System requirements call for a PowerPC G5, G4 or G3, 256MB RAM, built-in FireWire and at least 4GB hard disk space. |
| posted by Perimbean @ 12:00 PM |
|
|
|
| Wednesday, April 06, 2005 |
|
Mac Mini at Best Buy Is Apple's Latest Retail Move
iPod is winning shelf space for Mac computers at retailers like Best Buy Co Inc. and analysts see more deals ahead.
Yet even so, Apple's firm pricing policy may leave it at loggerheads with the world's biggest retailer and discounter, Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
The iPod is far and away the biggest selling portable digital music player, even though Apple's global share of the PC market stands at less than 5 percent.
"With the iPod, Apple's been able to open new doors and Best Buy is one of the top electronics retailers out there," said Shaw Wu, an analyst at American Technology Research.
By moving to the big retailers -- Apple has long sold its wares at privately held CompUSA Inc. -- it can also tap into a broader audience beyond the technical sophisticates who tend to comprise the bulk of visitors to Apple's own stores.
"When you go to the big box retailers you're talking about Joe America," said IDC analyst Roger Kay. Apple had in years past pulled out of a number of retailers because it wasn't getting enough support in selling Apple products.
Apple rolled out the Mac mini, which starts at $499 and is sold without a monitor, keyboard or mouse, in January, taking sharp aim at making its products more appealing to the masses. The Mac mini is the cheapest Mac to date.
The mini is aimed at consumers who already have an iPod and a Windows computer at home. The hope is that users will use the mini to store and manage their digital music, movies, pictures and other digital content such as music.
"The Mac mini is at a price that's really attractive to Best Buy customers, and, second, the idea of having a Mac-like user experience managing your digital lifestyle is actually catching on," said Tim Bajarin, an analyst at Creative Strategies.
He cited colleagues and acquaintances who are longtime Windows PC users but switched to the Mac mini to manage songs, movies, pictures and other content with Apple's iLife software programs.
"This is really just extending Apple's reach to an ever broader audience," Bajarin said.
Analysts expect more deals from apple, but few expect Apple to sell its wares at the biggest retailer of all, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT.N: Quote, Profile, Research)
Apple co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs likes to keep tight control over how and at what prices Apple products are sold, while Wal-Mart largely dictates terms to its suppliers.
"You have to be really careful with Wal-Mart because they tend to dictate the terms to their suppliers rather than the other way around," IDC's Kay said.
Added Bajarin: "I'd be very surprised if Apple went to Wal-Mart because they're a true discounter."
Cupertino, California-based Apple has long sold its products at a premium to rival PCs in the Windows world, garnering higher margins. That changed somewhat with the iPod, whose margins are lower than on the Mac, Apple has said.
But analysts said they were not worried about margins eroding as distribution expands, because Apple does not discount.
A $299 iPod that holds 5,000 songs will cost the same whether it's bought on Apple's online store, at one of its 100-plus retail stores, CompUSA, Best Buy, or wherever.
For example, on Wal-Mart's online store, an Apple iPod from HP -- which has a suggested retail price of $299.99 -- shows a discount of a bit more than $2, reinforcing that Apple doesn't discount. Hewlett-Packard Co. resells the iPod.
"Apple won't go in without an agreement that the reseller won't change the suggested retail price" Bajarin said. "If I'm an investor I have no concerns about the bottom line." |
| posted by Perimbean @ 2:30 PM |
|
|
|
|
|
Duke University to Broaden Use of iPods in Courses
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Duke University will again give Apple Computer Inc.'s (AAPL.O: Quote, Profile, Research) iPod digital music players to students for use in its courses this fall, broadening their use from just freshmen to all class levels.
After a preliminary review of the year-long program, Duke said it will use the iPods in a more targeted manner. Duke, in Durham, North Carolina, last fall gave some 1,600 iPods to incoming first-year students, prompting other colleges to follow suit.
While the university won't again distribute iPods to all incoming freshmen this year, it will give iPods to any student whose class uses them, said Lynne O'Brien, who coordinated the project for Duke. The students own the iPods, which are paid for out of a special technology grant.
"One of the pleasant surprises was that the faculty had a lot more ideas about using them than we had initially thought," O'Brien said. "Our approach last year was to put it out there and see what people might be interested in doing."
The iPods served as a springboard for broadening the use of technology at large in higher education. The project gained momentum through the year, with more than 600 first-year students enrolled in at least one course that used iPods.
Many of those courses were for music or a foreign language and students used the gizmos to record or receive audio files. They later began to use them for taking notes, conducting interviews, audio blogging or even for podcasting, a growing trend.
In podcasting, audio content, such as radio shows, is available for download. Users can then listen to the show at their leisure.
Duke Professor Daniel Foster said he taught a class on old-time radio in which students used the iPods to download shows from an internal Website rather than having to go to the library to listen to them.
"The students could get the radio shows on their iPods and that would not only be more convenient for them, it would also make them more portable," Foster said. "They could bring the radio shows to class and use them as they would a text."
Greg Jozwiak, Apple's head of hardware product marketing, said Apple was excited about what Duke has done so far.
"We've found in a short period of time what you can do with integrating the iPod into the education process," Jozwiak said. |
| posted by Perimbean @ 10:30 AM |
|
|
|
|
|
