Monday, September 30, 2002
Top Stories
Burning Rubber: 10.2
Mac OS X 10.2 is a truly first-class experience. Oh by the way, though I've only been using OS X for about a month, it has never crashed. Not once.
News
Opera Meets Electronica In "Paradise Lost."
"Ultimately, I want to use technology to make music that lives and breathes, and constantly serves the drama of the opera. And there is nothing like using a Mac to make that dream into a reality."
Technology Of Future Helps Students Explore Past
A group of sixth-graders at Richview Middle School are digging up the past without leaving the classroom.
Bluetooth Technology Is Finding Use In More
After fits and starts, are consumers seeing the first easy-to-use Bluetooth products hit store shelves.
IBM Joins 64-Bit Desktop PC Strategy
With or without Apple, IBM pushes ahead with PowerPC plans.
Apple Readies Its First Store In Maryland
Apple Computer Inc. is putting the finishing touches on its first store in Maryland — the latest move in a strategy the company launched last year to better introduce its products to consumers.
IT Exec Gets Apple Philippines On Its Feet, And Running
In the information technology circles, Charlie Tang is widely credited with having turned around Apple Philippines, making it a major player in the desktop computer market from a mere bit player just a couple of years ago.
The State's Laptop Computer Initiative Lands In Biddeford
More than 200 Biddeford seventh-graders logged on to the future Thursday, firing up new laptop computers paid for by taxpayers across the state.
Opinion
Macs-imizing Student Potential
We believe that our students are gaining some high-level computer skills and getting an excellent education in our school district.
Mac Poses As Much Of Challenge To Linux As To Windows
Apple's snarky ad campaign urging people to switch from Microsoft Windows machines to Apple's Macintosh computers probably won't put a dent in Windows sales. But it could mean serious trouble for the effort to put the Linux operating systems on home and corporate desktops.
Review
Moving Video, Photos To DVDs Gets Easier
For the best consumer-grade DVD authoring around, get a Macintosh with iDVD. We're betting you'll be thrilled.
Jaguar Does Windows—And Then Some
This $129 Mac upgrade makes networking with Windows easy.
Mariner Write V3 And Mariner Calc V5.2 Pack
They've each got room to grow, and Write especially needs to clean up a couple of features before it's ready for prime time.
Spam Busters
PostArmor is the new enemy of junk e-mail. It homes in on header clues and zaps the stuff before it even reaches you.
Digital Remake: Update Old Analog Video
The analog-to-digital conversion market is growing as consumers upgrade to digital camcorders.
Of Mice And Movies
Video-editing software lets you play director at your desk. But you may need to upgrade your PC.
HP Device Does More Than Photos
Whether printing pictures, copying photos or scanning images on its flatbed, this show-off device produced spectacular prints with vibrant colors just begging to be framed.
Sidetrack
An Apple A Day: iPods Around the World
Robert Scoble: I think Microsoft has a leadership problem... They've forgotten to ship new things once in a while.
Wintel
Raikes Details Office Changes
As Microsoft Corp. prepares to release the first beta for Office 11, the next version of its pervasive Office productivity suite, Jeff Raikes, its group vice president of productivity and business services, sat down to talk about the changes users can expect to see.
XML To Drive Office Update
Code-named Office 11, the suite will feature built-in support for XML in Word, allowing developers to create "smart" documents that automatically search for code or updates as needed.
Hybrid Pentium 4 Finds Home In Laptops
It's not quite a notebook chip and not quite a desktop chip, but Intel's Pentium 4C processor is managing to establish an identity for itself in a small niche of the consumer notebook market.
Gateway Changs Its Marketing Spots
Direct PC seller Gateway is revamping its logo and marketing to further downplay its bovine heritage, but the company says it is not killing its sacred cow.
Why .NET Is A Benefit To Other Platforms
Instead of complaining about Microsoft's market reach, co-opt.
PC Makers Hit Speed Bumps; Being Faster May Not Matter
Computers have reached a point where for the most common home purposes — Web surfing, e-mail and word processing — they are already more than fast enough to suit a typical home user's needs.
Bluetooth: Prooft That Microsoft Is Innovating
It's not Microsoft's reaction time to a burgeoning technology that's innovative. What's innovative is Foley's vision for where wireless technologies like Bluetooth fit into the grander scheme of things.
Sunday, September 29, 2002
Top Stories
Apple Releases iSync Beta
With the iSync beta users can synchronize Address Book contacts and iCal calendars across Mac OS computers and devices, such as an iSync-compatible mobile phone, an iPod or a Palm OS device.
News
.Mac Outage; Reliability Issues Persist
"I think this is despicable behavior on Apple's part, especially after forcing people to fork out $50-$100 for a completely unreliable mail 'solution.'"
The Mac Lives On In Jordan
When people stopped talking about the IBM PC and Compatibles versus the Macintosh, I knew that one of these two platforms had conclusively dominated the other.
Review
Synchronizing Computers With iSync
Being tied so closely with .Mac could be Apple's way to force users into buying .Mac accounts, and I certainly find iSync a much more compelling reason to join than the email and web hosting features.
Saturday, September 28, 2002
Top Stories
Matchmaker Blutetooth: No-Cable Connection Excels At Pairing Handhelds
I've already cut the network cord with Wi-Fi. I'm looking to untangle the rest of my mess with Bluetooth.
News
P5 Gesture-Recognition Glove Coming Soon
Essential Reality announces that the PC version of the P5 glove—a controller that will recognize hand gestures for 3D games—will be available next month.
Opinion
Rants & Raves: Apple's 'Logic' Snubs PC Users
When's the last time a software company offered $1,300 in incentives to Apple users to buy a PC after they yanked Mac support from their product line?
Friday, September 27, 2002
Top Stories
Apple Extends .Mac Sign-Up Deadline
Mac users who have not converted their free iTools accounts to paid .Mac subscriptions have a little more time to consider whether to make the switch.
Keep Taking The Tablets
At best, the Tablet PC could be the breakthrough computer for people who don't like computers, and don't want to learn to type.
News
The Overheating SuperDrive Saga: Apple's Response
In October, Apple will deliver an updater that will be available through the Mac OS's Software Update feature.
Interview With Watson's Dan Wood
"It's really our user community that has given me the energy!"
Opinion
Mac OS X Rapidly Catching On With *nix Geeks
Although there is still plenty of controversy around Mac OS X, Apple seems to have made the right choice by using NeXTstep and BSD Unix as the foundation for OS X.
Review
Apple's iChat
It delivered on everything it promised ... and more.
FileMaker Pro V.6
Regrettably, if it weren't for the importance of XML, this otherwise would be a rather ho-hum upgrade release.
Why Watson Is Smarter Than Sherlock
Watson is engineered to be a platform, while Sherlock is only an application.
Sidetrack
Random
If I am writing "seriously" on the web, I'll definitely request that my byline be presented in text. Not just some graphics with my name on it, cause when other bloggers visit the page with graphics turned off, they won't see my byline.
An Apple A Day: dotmac.info, your source for all things .Mac!
Wintel
Microosft VPN Flaw May Leave Intranets Open To Attack
A flaw in Microsoft's Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol used to secure VPNs leaves corporate intranets open to attack from outside.
Windows XP SP1: Why It's Not So Boring After All
The most important part is that a large number of bugs are fixed by it and that new systems will ship with those fixes.
Thursday, September 26, 2002
Top Stories
MP3 As Family Music Tool
After using an iPod for a couple of weeks, I'm now convinced the category has legs.
Profits From Piracy
Evidence is mounting that cracking down on software copyright infringement may not be good for business. Case study: Microsoft in China.
News
.Mac Subscription Time Nears; Files To Be Purged Oct 1
Users that don't subscribe by the September 30 deadline will lose any files, pictures and any other information stored on their iDisk, but usernames will be available indefinitely.
10 Mobile Technologies To Watch
Toast 5.2 Titanium Coming Next Week
Macworld Show Close To Boston Return
The Hub is close to stealing an Apple from the Big Apple, in a deal that could pump tens of millions of dollars into the city's beleagured economy, sources say.
An Upgrade Card That Fires Up FireWire And USB Connections
Keyspan's USB2+FireWire Card is one way to retrofit existing systems.
Mac King
"Apple is like a strange drug that you just can't quite get enough of!"
Opinion
Apple Losing Ground In Education: A Teacher's Perspective From The Trenches
If you look at the decision making process at a typical two-platform school, you find that the Macs are increasingly relegated to enclaves where teachers, like myself, make a concerted effort to concentrate them in one place.
He Can't Do That!
I think that some people have lingered too long in the range of Steve's famous Reality-Distortion Field.
Review
First Impressions Of .Mac Backup And Virex
I am not impressed and sometimes disappointed.
Flat Panels Handiest In Tight Quarter
Let It Rip
Everything about the iPod is smart.
Shootout: Final Cut Pro 3 Vs. Avid Xpress DV 3.5
These are both capable, professional edit systems built to satisfy professional editors.
Sizing Up The .Mac Internet Service
After waffling for a month and a half, I subscribed to .Mac, anyway. What changed my mind?
Sidetrack
Kamiloiki Elementary School has a new iMac for every teacher.
Portola Valley schools has new iBooks.
Wintel
Microsoft Ponders Windows Upgrade For '04
According to developers close to the Redmond, Wash., company, a proposal to deliver a Windows 'Yukon' release—timed to tide over Microsoft and its users until the long-awaited Longhorn debuts—is on the company's drawing boards.
Microsoft, Intel Elbow Into Wireless
Intel Corp. and Microsoft Corp. are putting their muscle behind new WLAN components, but the heavyweights' actions have others in the industry worried they will complicate standards development and limit choices.
Showtime, Microsoft Style
Does the world really want Microsoft dictating multimedia formats to the Internet and entertainment industries? In the end, I suspect Media Player 9's success may depend less on its many innovations than on the public's willingness to surrender so much gatekeeping authority to the Windows juggernaut.
Micosoft Posts Steps To Change XP Keys
The move, which started as a customer service to help users legitimately change keys, could actually serve as a blueprint of sorts for hackers to access XP keys, some said.
Itanium 2 Success Hinges On Microsoft
Although Itanium 2 is a much stronger hardware platform than the first Itanium, broad near-term market acceptance will now hinge on Microsoft software support.
Wednesday, September 25, 2002
Top Stories
Utilities For Switching On The Cheap
If you're considering making the switch, you might be concerned about your additional software costs as well. Those basic utilities can add up fast! In this article, we'll look at some inexpensive options to get you productive on some common tasks.
News
Opinion
Second Thoughts About Intel In Macs
A deluge of reader mail has opened my eyes to some very sound reasons why the Motorola PowerPC chip's days may be numbered.
You Can't Buy Community
Money can't buy you love, friends, or piece of mind ... only market share. Apparently, that's what "community" means to Microsoft.
Review
iPod's Deserved Triumph
Apple's iPod is the best portable digital music player on the market.
Norton Utilities 7.0: Veteran Disk-Tools Suite Gains OS X Support But Not Speed
Norton Utilities 7.0.1 is a worthwhile addition to any conscientious OS X user's tool chest; however, if you're looking for a bargain, we recommend purchasing Norton SystemWorks 2.0.
Power Mac 1.25GHz MP Versus Others
King Of All MP3 Players
Look out, Apple. Sure, your iPod MP3 player is sleek and smooth, but as always, upstarts from the PC world are looking to take what you've done and do it cheaper.
Web Services With AppleScript And Perl
You can't create a SOAP web service with AppleScript, but you can have it act as a SOAP web client and use Perl to create the service.
Sidetrack
It seems to me that the haze / smog / pollution outside of my window is at its worst this year.
Wintel
Intel Send Out Worrying Sign
US computer chip giant Intel, added to growing unease about the countryís slowing economy yesterday by ordering its Irish employees to take time off at Christmas.
Tablet PC—No Habla Espanol, Yet
When devices running the specialized operating system hit the market Nov. 7, they'll support English, French, German, Korean, Japanese and both simplified and complex Chinese. However, they won't be able to make heads or tails out of Spanish or Italian, among other languages.
Microsoft Tries Wi-Fi
Home networking gear makes the Rubik's Cube seem like a kid's toy, but the Microsoft hardware group is attempting to change that.
Cattle Drive
More are betting these days that Gateway will be put out to pasture than beat Apple as the computer of passionate choice.
Microsoft And HP Unveil The Media Center PC
A Media Center PC doesn't make a cost-effective addition to the TV room, but it could be useful in other rooms where space is more an issue than cost.
Psion Supports Windows CE In New Netpad
Psion Teklogix, the enterprise mobile computing business, has announced that it will offer a Windows CE version of its Netpad industrial tablet.
HP — The Switzerland For Servers?
Is HP becoming the Switzerland for server software and middleware solutions?
Tuesday, September 24, 2002
Top Stories
Liberty Alliance Plans Interoperability With Passport
The Liberty Alliance Project, which is developing Web technology to facilitate single-sign-on authentication, plans to support interoperability between its system and Microsoft's rival Passport system.
News
What's All The Feiss About?
Once we would have said about such instant, widespread notoriety, "only in America", but now it's the Internet and the whole world.
Cisco Releases Jaguar-Compatible Aironet Drivers
Cisco Systems has released new drivers for their Aironet series of wireless cards that are compatible with Mac OS X 10.2.
What Will Drive The Next Big Upgrade?
Although Howe was surprised by corporate IT departments' willingness to try Apple's Xserve enterprise server, he expressed doubt that the company will win more than a "fair amount of sidegrading" out of its efforts.
The Economics Of Apple
Although Apple has achieved financial solvency in a difficult climate by knowing its audience and preserving its margins, the company's struggle is not over.
Opinion
Flirting With Mac OS X
You don't have to be ashamed to go to a Linux guru meeting with Mac OS X, because it's just a UNIX with a very nice GUI.
Ellison's Apple Board Departure An Opportunity For Better Governance
Maybe this is a good time for Apple to think about governance issues.
Review
Mozilla's Conveniences Take Bite Out Of Explorer
Mozilla comes with a lot of features that would normally require extra software.
Apple iMac
The iMac isn't just about hip style—it's a bold reminder of Apple's ability to design simple-to-set-up computers and bundle essential and appealing applications.
Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0
At the price, domestic digital photographers will find much in Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0 to commend it. However, even with its improved accessibility, many users will undoubtedly find the learning curve steep, but with some perseverance will discover an exciting new digital world opening up before them.
Sidetrack
The Guy At The Office
Think back a few years ago... Remember that guy in your office that keeps sending e-mail to everyone, detailing the latest news in your industry, giving tips on how you can use the company e-mail system, and maybe even sharing a joke or two?
Chances are, this guy now has a blog.
What's the Value?
Microsoft, as reported by eWeek is going to spend more than US$3b into Office to double Office's annual revenue.
So what's new? "New categories of application value from a client standpoint, as well as around servers and XML services."
Microsoft is saying, please stay with us. We will make it worthwhile for you. We are going to increase our research and development effort. You'll like it.
So, Microsoft, what's your proposal? How will it benefit me? Why would I like it?
Oh, new values. (Mumble buzzwords.) Value! Value! Value!
Random
An Apple A Day: Newtons Around the World
Seattle Times reported that, on the very day Microsoft announced its new wireless products, the wireless network on Microsoft's campus went dead.
Wintel
MS Touts New Growth In Old World
Microsoft said on Tuesday it was confident about the future, which was why it was raising an army of new recruits and investing tens of millions of dollars in an alliance with Hewlett-Packard.
Microsoft Previews Next Office Version
Microsoft gave investors a sneak peak on Tuesday at its new version of Office software suite, due out next May.
Ballmer: We'll Outsmart Open Source
Although Microsoft cannot compete against Linux on price, the company will use its community of professionals to outsmart the open-source movement, Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer told an audience of Microsoft Most Valued Professionals (MVPs) in London on Monday.
HP Hits Bottom With PC Prices
Hewlett-Packard is taking aim at rival Emachines by revamping its Compaq Presario desktops for the holidays.
Carly's Biggest Test
If the management foundation that underlies the merger unravels, and the infighters prevail, rest assured that Steve Case of AOL won't be the only big-name tech executive with a question mark hovering over his future.
Open Source, Shared Source Or Secret Sauce?
It looks very much as if Microsoft is genuinely learning something from the open-source movement. Is it possible that both communities may gain from this?
Beleaguered Dell?
No matter how well they may appear to be doing, Dell Computer Corporation has what is rather chillingly described as "a deteriorating balance sheet."
Monday, September 23, 2002
News
HP Unvveils News Family Of Printers, Connectivity Devices
Hewlett-Packard today announced a new line of printers and connectivity devices aimed at providing feature rich, cost effective solutions for printing everyday business communications in color.
Have You Checked Out Our Latest Weblog?
Emerging technologies. Innovative applications. New economy.
Opinion
Can An Apple A Day Really Keep The IT Expert Away?
You will, eventually, need an expert. And I would love to be the consultant McPherson has to call in when her network has a problem!
Review
For Many, Photoshop Elements Makes Perfect Sense
Designed for the beginner, but plenty powerful enough for the pro, Photoshop Elements is the best deal going.
Wintel
Pocket PC Doesn't Make Security Grade, Gartner Says
Microsoft's Pocket PC 2002 software does not address critical security issues and could make sensitive corporate data stored on PDAs and desktop PCs vulnerable to theft and loss, market analyst Gartner warned in a recent research note.
The Future Of Windows
Have you ever wondered what operating system you will be using in 2005? Australian tech writer Andrew Parsons investigates the future of Windows, code named Longhorn.
Microsoft Seeks Xbox Hype To Survive Christmas Sales
The Xbox needs to end its first year with on an upswing. If it doesn't, industry observers say, its prospects for turning a profit will be pushed back a few years, triggering some deep soul-searching at Microsoft.
Why .NET Will Conquer The World
Microsoft is better positioned to create a cross-market software unification framework than Sun Microsystem's ever was (or is).
Sony Becoming A Sleeper PC Giant
Quick—who's the fastest-growing major PC maker in the world? If you guessed Dell, you're wrong.
Sunday, September 22, 2002
Opinion
On Joel On Software
Windows software ported to the Mac almost always fails. Mac software ported to Windows very often succeeds.
Review
Apple Beauties Shine As Trust Buffs Style
The current flat-panel iMac with its steep sticker price, peace of mind and good looks may be just the ticket for those of us who live in a world dominated by Fords but dream Cadillac dreams.
Building A Network Depends On Computers
Let's start at the very beginning.
Use Caution Before Upgrading Computer's Operating System
For most computer consultants and enthusiasts, the process of upgrading a PC is often best left to the professionals.
Wintel
Microsoft's Gates, Ballmer Receive 13% Hike In Pay Packages
Microsoft's top two executives received 13% raises in the past year, with chairman Bill Gates and chief executive Steve Ballmer each earning $753,310 in salary and bonuses, the company has disclosed.
Saturday, September 21, 2002
News
OmniWeb X 4.1.1b1 Released
The Omni Group has posted OmniWeb X 4.1.1b1, the latest release of their full-featured Mac OS X Web browser.
The ABCs Of Computers
Elementary school students throughout the district are getting hands-on computer training with the help of mobile laptop computer labs.
Computer Dispute Aired Before Board
Mac or Windows? That long-running debate between devotees of different software platforms bubbled to the surface at Thursday night's meeting of the Davis Board of Education.
Los Angeles Apple Store Sees 139,000 Visitors In First Month
The Los Angeles Times recently contained an Apple ad thanking the 139,000 visitors it received to its Los Angeles Apple store at The Grove in its first month.
Ellison Bails On Apple
Ellison's spotty attendance record at Apple's board meetings hadn't been an issue until a recent wave of corporate accounting scandals sharpened Wall Street's focus on the watchdog role of company boards.
Opinion
When Chips Are 64 (Bit)
The 1 GHz GPUL will run twice as fast as the current 1 GHz G4 PowerMacs that Apple is how shipping.
Review
Installation Of Jaguar Bites A Few Readers
A clean install can work wonders and reduce troubleshooting.
Latest OS X Simply The Best, But Change Is Expensive
The cost and hassle factor of switching to a completely new platform remains substantial. But if you get more frustration than joy out of Windows, there aren't many excuses left for not exploring a Macintosh.
Homemade Dot-Mac With OS X, Part 2
Now that we've set up the basics of our home Web server, we have a platform for a wide variety of options and fun projects that we can build upon.
Feline Good
Does Jaguar, aka Max OS X 10.2, live up to its name? Is it faster and smoother? Well, yes. A good step up from OS X 10.1.5, and I liked it a lot.
ThinkFree Office 2.0
If you use Microsoft Office regularly and you need most or all of its features, then skip ThinkFree and pony up the money for the real deal. But if you're simply looking for a program with more features than icWord or icExcel, ThinkFree is a best-of-breed program that will exceed your expectations.
Serve Your iCal Calendars Using WebDAV
You can set up your own plot of Gregorian-space.
Sidetrack
Dana Blankenhorn: It's not that PCs and Internets will stop changing or growing. But their progress is now limited to what government (and the content industries) will allow.
If true, then watch out: the next technology breakthrough will be coming from outside the States.
Ted Shelton: I am truly impressed with my new Mac OS X powerbook. It is a joy to use, and it is very reliable.
Good job, Apple.
Dave Winer: Did you know that there are almost 60,000 ex-Apple employees floating around out there?
Any .Mac discounts for them? :-)
Wintel
Less, And More, Than Meets Eye To MS Wi-Fi Push
So, two out of ten for hardware innovation, nine for cunning sales strategies.
HP Splits PC Lines On Price
Hewlett-Packard plans to turn the Compaq Presario into its cost-conscious consumer brand while pushing HP Pavilion models at gamers and other high-end PC buyers, a top Hewlett-Packard executive confirmed Thursday.
Microsoft Spying? Linux Is Looking Better
Toss international politics into that equation and Linux suddenly looks very attractive.
Friday, September 20, 2002
Top Stories
A Linux User Defects
FreeBSD? GNU Hurd? Windows? No, the operating system thatís my tip for the OS of the future is nothing other than Appleís Mac OS X.
Apple's New Galleria Store A World Unto Itself
You'll know that everything works properly before you leave the store.
Apple's Big Bite
The development team for Final Cut Pro and Cinema Tools continues to throw as many features as possible into a single user interface that is consistent across the entire spectrum of possible configurations. All of this plus dead sexy — now how can you beat that?
News
iCab 2.8.2 Update Brings Jaguar Fixes
The iCab company today released iCab 2.8.2, the latest version of its popular alternative Web browser.
Adobe Rebranding Designer And Developer Web Site
The site is now called Adobe Studio Exchange, and enables users to upload and download add-ons for Adobe applications.
Apple PDA Plans Gathering Dust
Apple's pioneering PDA, Newton, failed to take off a decade ago, largely because it was a clunky, expensive device that the public was not ready for. Now, with the market saturated with PDAs and smartphones, Apple may not be ready to try again.
Larry Ellison Resigns As Apple Director
"My schedule does not currently allow me to attend enough of the formal board meetings to warrant a role as a director."
Lodging Fears Hinder Macworld Return
A dispute over hotel space is the last major roadblock to bringing the Macworld computer trade show back to Boston in mid-July 2004, according to the head of the company that sponsors the convention.
Grant Provides Tech To Schools
"Through the use of technology, we hope to better engage students, and in turn, excite the teachers and keep them with us longer."
New Laptops Revolutionalize Students' Work
The wireless computer, introduced to Oakwood students this school year, has become an integral part of the entire fifth- through eighth-grade curriculum.
AppleScript Studio Makes Life Easier
"What I'm fascinated by in AppleScript is the fact that it is an extra hand."
Opinion
Why I Develop For Mac OS X
One of the reasons I develop for OS X is that, when it comes to user interface, this is the big leagues, this is the show.
Review
Archos Jukebox Recorder 20
Portable hard-disk MP3 player is first to offer MP3 encoding.
Sidetrack
NetNewsWire
Not only can you read MyAppleMenu via your favorite web browser, you can also read MyAppleMenu via your favorite RSS reader, such as NetNewsWire.
(Note: All the weblogs under MyAppleMenu have RSS feeds. Go here to get them.)
Random
Mac People: Sean Pertwee, actor, stars in Blue Juice and Dog Soldiers, loves his iPod.
Cameron Barrett: Interesting. Microsoft has discontinued Internet Explorer for Unix. This makes me wonder if or when they will axe IE for Mac OS X.
Wintel
HP Shells Out For Site Revamp
Hewlett-Packard has recently spent tens of millions of dollars revamping its Web site in an attempt to make its e-commerce effort more coherent after its acquisition of Compaq Computer.
Microsoft Details Web Services Prices
Microsoft has announced its first chargeable web service, MapPoint.net, which will deliver geographical information, including postcode searches, location services and downloadable driving instructions.
Windows XP — One Year Later
I agree with Microsoft's senior VP for Windows, Jim Allchin. I think they've been doing a pretty good job lately.
Thursday, September 19, 2002
Top Stories
The World Of A Mac User
Daring to be an Apple Computer Inc. devotee in a world dominated by Microsoft Corp.ís Windows may seem quixotic, but just about any Macintosh user will tell you that despite some disadvantages, theyíd never turn to the "dark side."
News
Finding An Opening
As open-source database usage expands, two questions arise. First, how can enterprises effectively utilize open-source databases to gain a competitive advantage? And second, how will open-source databases affect the database marketplace?
Is Apple's Innovation Only Skin-Deep?
"Apple need to transation [innovations] into a compelling, business case justification."
Opinion
Apple, IBM Team On 64-Bit CPU
According to sources, IBM Microelectronics, a division of IBM, is working with Apple on a 64-bit PowerPC processor for use in the latter's high-end desktops and servers.
If You Don't Have .Mac You Don't Have A Mac
Nobody will want a Mac without .Mac.
Review
Blasphemy! Apple Does Windows
The Windows iPod experience might not be as smooth as that of the Mac version, but it does bring the iPod's famous ease-of-use and portability to the other 95 percent of the market.
Why Windows Has The Edge Over The Mac
The iMac does its job well. But it is no more intuitive than Windows XP.
iPod Portable Player Enters The Windows World
The competition is also catching up to Apple in offering featherweight design and high-speed connections.
Mac System Is The Real Thing
Apple's upgrade for the Macintosh features significant utilities, treats and speed.
Data Swells, As Do Ways To Store It
So not only are all kinds of storage options now available, but they also fit more into less space.
Sidetrack
Pot and Kettle Calling Apple Black
To all these web publications that is terming Apple's migration to .Mac a failure because 95% of users didn't sign up ó how many of your readers sign up for your paid subscription or donation?
The common "rule-of-thumb" is that a successful paid-service will sign up about 1% of current readership. (I think Salon has roughly that figure, if I recall correctly.)
With that as context, Apple's 5% is a rather good success.
Random
Rob Fahrni: I don't like being embarrassed by security flaws any more than the next guy, and yes it's embarrassing. That alone will drive us to more secure software.
Just discovered that the carpet here at my office will hide coins easily. Dropped one earlier today, and I still haven't recover it yet.
Wintel
Gateway's Problem Is Microsoft, Not Dell
Trouble is, Gateway controls only the hardware design of its iMac challenger, the Profile series, not the software.
Microsoft Offers Source Code To 2,300 Parties - 150 Say Yes
"The great myth of open source is that everyone wants to look at source code..."
Rivals: Microsoft Not Compllying
Microsoft isn't living up to its agreement with the federal government to allow Windows users to remove access to the company's programs and choose competitors' products, a group funded by Microsoft's rivals said Wednesday.
Wednesday, September 18, 2002
News
Microsoft Claims Lion's Share Of OS Market
RedSherriff reports on 17 September that Microsoft claims 96.75% of the worldwide OS market, and OneStat.com reported on 10 September that Microsoft had 97.46% of the market.
Dueling DVD Groups Head For Slowdown
The two industry groups fighting to set a rewritable DVD standard are showing no interest in working together, but technology tricks and behind-the-scenes talks could inch the sides toward a compromise.
Apple To Attend Linux Expo UK 2002
Apple says it will use the show to "showcase Mac OS X."
Opinion
Apple, The Saddest School Dropout
The days when Jobs & Co. ruled the classroom are rapidly fading. Why? School officials and parents are scared to stray from the PC herd.
Review
Apple's Dual-1.25 G4
In our tests, the new dual-1GHz Power Mac performed roughly the same as the dual-1GHz model that came before it. Although the new model has a faster system bus, it also has half the L3 cache per processor—a very important factor in a system's speed.
Sidetrack
NetNewsWire Lite, a new application gaining popularity in the Mac blogging world, is edging to a 1.0 release.
Joel Spolsky: What I don't understand is people who think it's OK to move the developers ten time zones away from their managers and expect good results.
Welcome, Phoebe Adelle Gates.
Wintel
Lindows Takes Wraps Off New Version
Lindows, the software start-up offering a consumer-friendly version of the Linux operating system, announced a new version of its software Wednesday.
The New Challenge To Microsoft
As the government's antitrust lawsuit winds down, Microsoft's next battle may be a knock-down, drag-out fight against Linux.
Tuesday, September 17, 2002
Top Stories
Pioneer Warns Of "Hot" DVD Drives
Pioneer Electronics said Tuesday that its DVD rewritable drives can cause PCs or DVD players to overheat when recording on certain high-speed disks.
.Mac Subscribers Top 100,000
Apple today announced that more than 100,000 users have signed up for the company's .Mac Web services since it was launched in July.
Apple Readies First Jaguar Update
The Mac OS X 10.2.1 update, which includes bug fixes and enhancements, would come less than a month after Apple launched the desktop and sever versions of Jaguar.
News
Apple Plays Up .Mac Subscriptions
While .Mac signups may be progressing slowly, the move to paid services also is the right thing to do, say analysts.
Apple Mac Treat For The Avid
In the same way that Photoshop overtook Paintbox in the last decade as the industry and consumer standard in image manipulation, high-quality digital video editing software is becoming much more accessible to the mass market.
Are Apples Good For Your Teeth?
"Today, people are more likely to buy a Macintosh because it's beautiful, it makes the [dental] consulting room more attractive."
Opinion
Switcher Stories Follow Up
A lot of people responded to that column, and I'd like to post some of their comments here, as well as invite the rest of you to weigh in.
Mac OS X On X86 Could Be A Good Idea
No matter what happens with the AIM (Apple, IBM, Motorola) alliance and the future of the PowerPC, Apple would have a business plan.
Review
iPhoto
iPhoto takes the drudgery out of organizing your digital photos and makes it fun to view and share your pictures with the rest of the world.
Ultimate Home PC Showdown: Apple iMac Vs. Gateway Profile 4
In our own tests, the Gateway still bested the iMac, but our results, which duplicated some of Gateway's tests and added some others, showed it was no slam-dunk.
Two More Tools For Fixing Photos
While Elements 2.0 requires more learning, it is stuffed with far more effects, tools and improvements.
Avid Xpress DV
With a price tag of over $1,000, Xpress DV won't find itself in the hands of as many people as Final Cut Pro or Premiere, but it will suit the needs of its owners just fine. Its flexibility, compatibility, and real-time effects will be a dream come true for many video editors.
Final Draft Could Provide A Hollywood Ending
If you're an aspiring screenwriter, though, you've lucked out. You deserve the perfect tool. Scrape together $249 in tip money and buy Final Draft.
UC Berkeley's Harvey On The Logo Experience
In addition to being interactive, where you enter statements using the keyboard and watch the results appear immediately on screen, Logo has two addition features that make it an obvious selection for kids.
Sidetrack
Random
The sad, sad tale of a Windows household.
Mac People: Humberto Cuentas's role is to "use the understanding of hipo-hop to include with the teaching of the school..."
An Apple A Day: Unsanity.org. Living on a thin line between sanity and insanity: diaries of the unsane ones.
Wintel
PC Squeeze Means DVDs For The Masses
Budget PC buyers could land a once-luxury DVD burner as computer makers use lower prices to chase sales ahead of the holiday season.
Future Intel Chips - Hacker Proof?
Intel Corp. will begin hard-wiring security features into future generations of chips in order to help fend off hackers and viruses, Intel President and Chief Operating Officer Paul Otellini said Monday.
Sun Expands StarOffice Giveaway
Sun Microsystems will give away its StarOffice software to ministries of education in Europe and Africa, the company is expected to announce Tuesday, in an effort to undermine rival Microsoft.
A Microsoft Pioneer Leaves To Strike Out On His Own
Charles Simonyi's start-up is called the Intentional Software Corporation. Its goal is to build software tools and technology to make the task of programming less complicated and more productive.
Getting Started With C#, Part 1
Find out how to write your first C# program in this book excerpt from Learning C#.
Monday, September 16, 2002
News
Computers Fail The Test
Apple desk-top computers were rated the most reliable: 86 per cent required no repairs in the past 12 months.
Apple's Scary Season
Market share is down, Microsoft is upset, and Quark is nowhere to be seen. The company has some mean challenges to overcome.
Review
The Feeble Files
If you're the kind that really likes a challenge, the Feeble Files is for you. It combines that old school adventuring you love with challenging gameplay and a professional feel.
Maya 3.5.1 For OS X
Serious 3D modelers and animators should definitely take a close look at this application.
Stronghold
Stronghold is an exciting strategy game that balances new people-management elements with city building and battles. Bold graphics and fun units make up for its interface quirks and the confusion of knowing where you can build.
Filemaker Pro 6
FileMaker has had a powerful program for some time, and now it's also simple. Isn't that what productivity programs are supposed to be?
Low-Cost Machines Fine For Most
The classic iMac, now at $799, has everything you need for the things most of us do, and, although it has its own kinks, many consider the Mac easier to use than Windows-based machines.
Wireless Wonder
Getting your computer and phone to talk does require a little of the set-up dance we hate.
Objective-C: The More Flexible C++
An introduction to Objective-C for programmers familiar with C++ or any other OOP language.
What Apple Could Learn From MS About Mice
Redmond is making better mice than stylish Apple. What's more, those MS mice work great with Macs.
Sidetrack
Mac People
Phillip J. Windley, CIO for the State of Utah: It's beautiful and very well executed... Things "just work"... OS X rocks!
Alisa Harris, owner of imageBLEND Promotions, can't live without Sony's DCR-TRV 103 Digital Handycam. (And probably her Final Cut Pro.)
Jeffrey Gitomer, author of "The Sales Bible," and "Customer Satisfaction is Worthless, Customer Loyalty is Pricelss," has more than 1,400 songs stored in iTunes.
Shirley Howe, 79, volunteer at Bainbridge Library.
And, Steve Jobs, one of six honorees of Chrysler's "Design Champions", celebrating the achievements of individuals who have consistently championed seminal works of architecutre and esign and signnificantly influenced modern American culture.
Random
Why are there no web UI innovation ever since Mosaic? Is it because everyone looks at Swing and figured out portable UI stuff is very difficult?
Wintel
AMD Ads To Play Up 64-Bit Chips
After going head-to-head on clock speeds and prices, rival chipmakers Advanced Micro Devices and Intel this week are kicking off dueling ad campaigns.
RMS: Why Open Source Needs Free Software's Ideals
The term "open source" was coined to avoid politics.
Sunday, September 15, 2002
News
Steve Jobs: Rendezvous With Stereos And TV Sets
"We don't just want computers to have this, we want consumer devices to adopt it."
Using The Books, Not Hitting Them
Mastering Audio And Running The Lodge
"There's no frame or template for mastering. My goal is to always be a subtle innovator."
Apple To Drive Up Asia-Pac Volumes
Apple Computer has identified India and Malaysia as its fastest growing markets in the Asia Pacific region.
Opinion
Apple In Education: Is Anybody Out There?
Macintosh Overpriced And Overhyped
Given the kind of prices bandied about by the Apple dealers locally, it is almost impossible to imagine how anyone can afford to use Apple equipment.
Review
Ingenious Memory Box Cruzes Past Competitors
Designed to fit in a pocket or handbag like a key chain, the Cruzer boasts nice engineering touches that make it a stand-out winner in the fast-emerging field of mobile flash memory storage gadgets.
Apple's Jaguar Is Top Operating System
Even Windows owners will see Mac features slipping into their machines.
iCal 1.0
Even with these imperfections, iCal is a great product, and it has replaced Palm Desktop as my calendar of choice.
Sidetrack
Random
Mac People: Danielle Wood, journalist with The Mercury and Sunday tasmanian, finalist of Australian/Vogel Literary Award.
jragon: Apple is taking all kinds of opensource ideas and protocols and wrapping them in purty graphics. The end result is great apps that are pretty amazing due to their ease of use and customizing ability.
I cannot remember where I've found this tip, but by choosing "Join network with best signal" (instead of the other optinos) in System Preferencs > Network > Airport, I do get better signal from my Airport base station. Weird.
While watching the Discovery channel, a commerical told me that there is this hot new documentary "in the month of September." After searching the web site for about half an hour, I still do not when in September is the program airing. Sigh.
Wintel
XP Update Is A Failed Attempt At Simplicity
It's a somewhat depressing example of business as usual in Redmond.
$11 Billion: No Skin Off Gates
Although he lost almost a fifth of his net worth in the past year, Microsoft founder Bill Gates remained the richest man in the United States, with a fortune of $43 billion, according to Forbes magazine.
Saturday, September 14, 2002
Top Stories
Using PC Peripherals On The Mac
Most devices that I have invested in for my PC are compatible with my new eMac.
News
Laptop Learning Under Way
Despite a budget crisis and fears of manhandled computers and dubious downloading, Gov. Angus S. King Jr.'s laptop-for-seventh-graders program is under way throughout the state.
If We Join Forces, We Can Become Stronger!
For the first time, the two major MPEG-4 standards bodies are putting their heads together for interoperability testing of the standard that is poised to propel the next generation of streaming media delivery.
Interview With A Mac Switcher: Jeremiah Cohick
How Extreme Is 'Quartz Extreme'? Very, According To Apple - A Performance Report
Mac Evangelist Released From Jail
Shane Anderson, the "list dad" of the Mac Evangelist, has been released from jail after striking a plea bargain on charges that he cracked into a business associate's computer.
Opinion
Could Macs Mean Business At Last?
For the second time in Apple's history, it has a real chance to do what it probably should have done when the Macintosh first came out: license the operating system.
Review
Gadgets Galore: Tune In To The Latest MP3 Players
Music you can take with you. That seems to be one of the biggest priorities for today's music lover.
An In-Depth Look At Mac OS X 10.2 - Jaguar
At a time when the personal computer industry is largely retrenching because of the ongoing sales slump, Apple continues to innovate.
Finally Someone Gets OS X Audio Recording Right!
AudioX is great for people who want an easy way to record sound from any input source.
Sidetrack
Random
Dan Gillmor: Only Apple seems truly to be on the side of the customer. Let's see how long Apple stays there.
There are some songs that I enjoy listening via my speakers but not through a pair of headphones, and there are some the other way around. Does that make sense to you?
Wintel
Intel-Server Debate A Pain For Industry
Intel and the chief manufacturer of chipsets for Intel-based servers don't see eye-to-eye on an important design issue—and that could create problems for Hewlett-Packard, Dell and other server makers.
Intel: Can't Get Enough Wireless
If the number of new products announced at a chipmaker's developer conference says anything about the company, Intel has a case of the blahs.
XP Service Pack 1 Not For Everyone
We didn't notice improved speed or stability in informal tests, and SP1's highly touted ability to change Windows' default apps for services such as Web browsing and instant messaging don't amount to a hill of beans at this point.
Friday, September 13, 2002
News
Carousel No Longer Has An Apple In Its Eye
Insiders at Applied have been told to go full steam ahead in offering new Apple/Macintosh computers, peripherals and software. Apple no longer has an Apple owned-and-operated boutique on its front burner for Syracuse.
Opinion
Student Laptops Are A Luxury
Computer companies are pushing hard to sell laptops as the key to preparing students for the job market. But before buying that line, educators need to pinpoint their biggest educational challenge and decide whether it's apt to be solved with a laptop.
Mac OS For X86 - Hearsay Or Heresy?
It's an irresistible rumor because there's a certain logic to it and because it's impossible to disprove. Nonetheless, it makes little to no sense for Apple to pursue such a strategy.
Enter The "Most Embrassing Computer Moment" Contest
So the Switch campaign has been fun, at least for Mac users. But what if we widened the concept to include all platforms, and tell humorous stories about our own crazy computer experiences?
Review
Fireworks MX: Web-Graphics Program Provides Refined Features And Added Versatility
If you're a designer who creates large volumes of Web graphics, you'll appreciate Fireworks' automation features. But if you create just a few Web graphics or if you want to generate sophisticated imaging effects, you may want to stay with Photoshop's simpler Web features and imaging tools.
Gritty Action, Kid Adventure, And Everything In Between
Buckshot from a shotgun shell disperses in a wide pattern. That's just one lesson I learned while playing Max Payne, one of the games I review this month.
Jinni Zeala Pinball
I don't think Jinni Zeala Pinball is a good value for the money, but there aren't many companies making pinball games so I guess you take what you can get.
Apple, Gateway Comparison A Hail Mary Pass
And while Gateway may extract some market share from other Windows clone makers, I can't imagine a single Mac user downgrading to the Profile.
Great Leap Forward
A good step up from OS X 10.1.5, and I liked it a lot.
Sidetrack
Seasons
There are no seasons here in Singapore — no change in thermometer readings, no change in fashion wear, no snow trickling down from the sky.
Which mean I have to appreciate little things that mark the passage of time. Like discovering this week that the sun is now shining into my office window in the morning, instead of rising and setting without notifying me. (Singapore is not exactly on the equator.)
Wintel
Ctrl-Alt-Delete: Is This The Best We Can Do?
The first company that figures out how to free us from our collective computing straitjacket will strike financial gold.
Microsoft: All XML, All The Time
Jim Allchin is not buying the argument that there's any confusion about Microsoft's message on Web services. If anything, he says, it's just the opposite.
Outlook Express Lets Attackers Skirt Filters
A feature in Microsoft Corp.'s Outlook Express mail client that enables users to send large e-mails in several parts can also be used by virus writers and attackers to sneak malicious code past filters and anti-virus software.
Microsoft Return To The Fray Armed With Linux
After years of watching Microsoft Corp consolidate its power, a band of software rivals is trying to build a beachhead in desktop computers.
Thursday, September 12, 2002
Top Stories
A Happy Geek
So I'm in hog heaven, even if I'm almost alone in Harvard's central administration in using a Mac.
Web Services Frustrates Microsoft
One of Microsoft's top executives said his company is frustrated by the slow adoption of consumer-oriented Web services, once heralded as the future of online commerce.
News
Adobe Still Struggling Against Economy
Publishing software giant Adobe Systems reported third-quarter earnings Thursday in line with lowered expectations.
Maya 4.5 Shipping For Mac OS X September 23
Version 4.5 offers a number of new features, including Maya Fluid Effects, which allows users to create atmospheric effects, pyrotechnics, space effects and a new Ocean Shader tool.
Electronic Music Pairs With Dance For A Show Of GIve, Take
One of the key figures in GroundWorks Dancetheater's performances this weekend and next at Akron's Ice House won't be standing on stage.
Apple Store To Open New Outlet In Troy
After launching its first Michigan store last month at Twelve Oaks Mall, Apple Computer will open its second retail store in Metro Detroit on Oct. 12 at the Somerset Collection in Troy.
Mac Heads Immortalized In Pixels
An enterprising graphic designer from upstate New York has updated and democratized portraiture with a cut-rate service that turns ordinary people into icons for their computer desktops.
Banks Account
What keeps Mac users like you loyal?
New Computer Service, Retail Store Opens In Nashua
Gary Leighton was a pharmacist who became addicted to Apples — the computers, not the food.
Gartland Makes Hollywood Trip
Tom Gartland, a local business consultant and the city's website developer, recently traveled to Hollywood for Apple's "switch" campaign.
Sybase Ships RDBMS For Jaguar Server
An enterprise-class relational database management system (RDBMS), ASE is designed for transaction-intensive applications and includes advanced e-business capabilities.
Opinion
Interview: Cocoa Guru Andrew Stone Of Stone Design
Leaving The Past Behind
Many people will complain, but eventually the need to be productive will outweigh the need to keep the flame burning.
Review
iPhoto The Missing Manual
If you are an aspiring digital photographer, or just have a lot of digital photos hanging around on your computer, iPhoto The Missing Manual is for you!
Mac OS X V 10.2
It's a completely cleaned-up, optimized, feature-added release of the Mac OS, and well worth the $129 price.
iPhoto 1.1 For Mac OS X: Visual Quickstart Guide
Adobe FrameMaker 7.0
FrameMaker is overkill if all you need is a simple word processor or page-layout application. But if you maintain documents that are both long and long-living, such as books or technical manuals you want to repurpose, you owe it to yourself to check out FrameMaker 7.0, and for authoring structured documents, it's the only game in town.
Apple's New iPod For PCs May Leave Rest In The Dust
It works just as well as the Mac iPod — so well, in fact, that other Windows players will be eating dust.
Sidetrack
3G and Location-Based
What will the killer app for 3G, with its bigger bandwidth and location-based services? Not some boring marketing campaign dreamt up by some desk-bound marketer, offering discount coupons to buy yet another cup of Starbuck once you get near to a shop. It's (once again) games, and it's time to get physical.
The key to the treasure is located 3 miles north of where you are. Get there now!
You are in a maze with twisting corridors, all different.
Oh, and porn too. I just haven't figure out the "location-based" part.
Wintel
Security Vulnerabilities Persist After IE 6 Patch
Only three days after the official release of the first patch for Microsoft's Internet Explorer Version 6 Web browser, security experts are raising concerns about security vulnerabilties that were not addressed by the company.
Microsoft And The Portal
.NET strategist slams portal frameworks as throwback to mainframe mentality; should the portal be deployed bottom up or top down?
Promises, Promises
Does Microsoft's new media player deliver? Well, not exactly.
Can We Count On WiFi In Emergencies?
Intel thinks Wi-Fi is a key to pinpointing a cell phone's location.
MS Intros Ultra-Liberal 'Write Your Own Licence' Scheme
Hurry hurry hurry, before Microsoft changes its mind and abandons DiY licence agreements.
Open Source .NET Supports Office Challenge
A desktop challenger to Microsoft Corp's Office has adopted an open source version of .NET, potentially increasing its appeal to a cross-section of developers.
Internet Explorer Subverts Error Messages
So that's today's bit of web development wisdom: don't override the standard error codes for your own application.
Wednesday, September 11, 2002
News
ActiveX Flaw Bugs Apple's QuickTime
A buffer overrun vulnerability has been detected in the ActiveX component in Apple's QuickTime 5.0 media player.
Philips To Use Apple's Jaguar Operating System In Home Entertainment Devices
Steve Jobs said Apple has agreed a deal with Royal Philips Electronics NV under which Philips can use Apple's software in its next generation of home entertainment systems.
Opinion
Be Proud Of The Mac Legacy
We that support this different way of thinking must encourage our clients to persevere.
After A Summer Of Product Releases, Macworld's Readers Panel Sounds Off On Jaguar, .Mac And Other Expo News
Read Between The Lines To See What Apple Is Really Up To
Even though Appleís announcement is a major one, itís what Apple didnít say thatís truly telling.
Will Microsoft Drown In Its Proprietary Media Stream?
Start popping the corn, tech news fans: The classic battle between Microsoft and Apple has been officially rekindled.
Mac And PC: Ne'er The Twain Will Meet
Could Apple make OS X run on Intel chips? Yes, but it would blunt the unique Mac edge and spark a war that Microsoft is sure to win.
Review
Suitcase 10
Suitcase 10 does a great job in Classic and OS 9. Until we evolve past OS X's Classic and Carbon-based transition period, we will have to deal with some of the OS's font handling limitations, and Suitcase 10 will be a great help in the process.
Apple iMovie 2
If you're intimidated by video editing, you haven't seen iMovie 2.
Sidetrack
Random
Matthew Haughey: I'm starting to think Apple's pulling the same sort of lock-in antics that people demonize Microsoft for.
Alexis Gutzman: Ironic event of the week: Some spammer is forging headers to look like the email is coming from SpamCop.
Adrian Holovaty: I've been designing a bare-bones home page in case something terrible happens [on Sept 11, 2002].
Wintel
Dell Exec Says May Launch Handhelds In Mid 2003
"We are considering a PDA launch for several quarters from now, but it will be a small part of our business."
Vendors Show Tablet PC Wares
Two software vendors this week took the wraps off applications designed for new Tablet PC devices, which will be released later this year with the goal of making handwriting the preferred method for inputting data into computer documents.
Microsoft: No Office Subscriptions On Tap?
Microsoft apparently has decided that the world isn't ready for buying Office via subscription.
"Buggy" Sept. 11 Worm Surfaces
A new e-mail worm has surfaced that uses the terror attacks of Sept. 11 to lure victims, antivirus groups say.
Microsoft Buys Security Software Company
Microsoft has acquired a small security software manufacturer as part of its continued drive to improve product security and reliability.
Tuesday, September 10, 2002
Top Stories
Mac OS X-Only Booting For 2003
Apple today announced that starting in January 2003, all new Mac models will only boot into Mac OS X as the start-up operating system, though they will retain the ability to run most Mac OS 9 applications through the "Classic" environment.
Mozilla Rising
Netscape won't dislodge Internet Explorer from its hegemony over browser space. But its open-source sibling is aiming at even bigger game: Windows.
News
Apple's Schiller Pushes Printing With 10.2
In a keynote address here Tuesday at Seybold San Francisco 2002, which was largely devoid of new announcements, Apple Senior Vice President Phillip Schiller spent an hour teasing out the new "print, publishing and design" features of Apple's recently released OS X 10.2 operating system.
Apple Kicks Off "Design Freely" Promotion
Free copy of Adobe InDesign 2.0.
Apple Launches Latest "i" Software
Apple on Tuesday released its latest "i" application, as the company seeks to combat slowing computer sales with an increased emphasis on software and services.
Rendezvous Gains Approval, Says Apple
Apple states that developers are "rapidly adopting Apple's innovative new Rendezvous networking technology for incorporation into everything from consumer electronics to printers, enterprise database management and educational applications."
Apple Expo In Full Swing
More than 70,000 attendees are expected to visit the show, which has attracted 250 exhibitors.
Industry Turns The Page
This year, industry leaders are focused on using networking technology — specifically powerful server computers — to sort through images, rather than using desktop computers alone.
Opinion
Copland And NeXT
In the end, it took like five years to deliver on a usable version of the next generation Mac OS. What is interesting in that it would have taken only another 2 or 3 years maximum for Apple to have delivered on Copland (plus some of Gershwin) had they followed a variant of the initial course.
Apple's Good, But That's No Reason To Switch
The newer versions of Windows are themselves mighty fine.
Review
Mouse Exists For Mac Users With Urge To Right-Click
Even Free, iCal Isn't Worth The Price
iCal is rife with bugs, display glitches and mind-boggling interface oversights.
Toast Titanium 5.1.2
Toast Titanium covers all the bases and provides an excellent platform for discovering why Zip drives are hitting the auction sites at prices lower than the cost of shipping.
Configuring Sendmail On Jaguar
Sendmail is complicated software, no doubt about it. But Sendmail is also the Swiss Army Knife of mail servers, and I don't mean one of those little key-chain trinkets.
Apple's 'Jaguar' Is Useful Upgrade
Overall, Jaguar is a good upgrade for Mac users, who may soon find they can't live without the new Sherlock or Mail features.
Sidetrack
Er... Steve? I still cannot watch VCD movies on the world's most powerful desktop operating system.
But... Steve? Does that mean all-new all-improved all-kiss-ass machines coming in January 2003?
Cyril Borgomano: It is quite easy to have a compatibility box called Classic, even if the processor was an AMD chip, for instance. But it would not work with a "real" Mac OS 9.
Wintel
Why Windows Makes Mobility So Hard
For an OS that has done a great deal of innovation with mobile computing, Windows is surprisingly insensitive to this need.
Dude, You're Getting More From Dell
Analysts are cautiously upbeat about PC makerís diversification.
Monday, September 9, 2002
News
Apples Of Their Eyes
Mac users gather at garage sale for deals, opportunity to reminisce.
Sidetrack
Cory Doctorow: Toshiba's new digital music player shows us more evidence that (consumer electronics) + (digital rights management) = ass.
If you have spent, say, over half an hour searching via Google, and you still cannot find what you want, does that mean it really doesn't exist? I was searching for some quotes from the TV show "Becker" about how stupid and irritating people are, and all I've found are some lame ones from IMDB.
Wintel
Microsoft "Solves" Hacking Mystery
After following a trail of evidence left behind on compromised Windows 2000 servers, the company now believes that hackers have systematically exploited Windows 2000 servers that haven't been properly locked down, rather than a hole in the operating system.
PC Makers Take Slow Road To XP Update
Microsoft on Monday issued the first update, or service pack, for the Windows XP operating system. But the update, available as a free download from Microsoft's Web site, may not appear on some new PCs until next year.
WinXP SP1 Out Now, And New Corp Version Leaked?
What appears to be an OEM/corporate version of WinXP with SP1 integrated has been circulating on the internet for over a week now.
Intel's 'Madison' To Make First Appearance
Unisys and NEC will make the first demonstrations of Intel's third-generation server chip, a move that may aid Intel's struggle to crack the competitive server market.
Balancing Linux And Microsoft
The case of Bruce Perens, who until recently was a strategist for Linux software at HP, illustrates the balance that companies must achieve as they promote Linux but continue doing business with Microsoft.
Sunday, September 8, 2002
Top Stories
Linking To Dance's Future In A 21st-Century Workshop
With the formal opening on Oct 2 of the new Dance Theater Workshop in Chelsea, New York dance officially enters the cyber universe.
News
Gov. King Visits Kittery School As Laptop Program Begins
Shapleigh Middle School hosted a special guest Thursday as Gov. Angus King spoke with students about the key role they play in making the laptop initiative a success.
Apple Posts New "Switch" Ads
The ads feature new "switchers" including an attorney, a veterinarian, a trucking company owner, a software manager and two students.
Optimism In Apple's China Market?
New Apple Web China, an independent Macintosh website in China, has an optimistic look (in Chinese) at Apple and the Chinese market.
Opinion
The Megahertz Mentality Reigns, But Processor Speed Is Almost Passe
Determining a winner in the race to build the fastest PC processor is getting harder and harder. The problem isn't finding a score card, but finding the right one.
Review
Photoshop 2.0 A Jewel For All Users
The digital photography wizards at Adobe may have outdone even their earlier low-cost breakthrough image editing software with this helpful upgrade to the wildly popular Photoshop Elements 1.0 version.
Sidetrack
Why OmniWeb Is Not My Browser Of Choice
There is one feature, and one feature alone, that causes OmniWeb to be not my browser of choice on Mac OS X.
Move your mouse over some links, and the URL text-input box at the toolbar changes. Which makes it extremely difficult for me to copy the URL of the current web page. And copying correct URLs is essential to my daily weblogging activities.
Saturday, September 7, 2002
News
Apple Makes A Pitch To Switch
Apple is trying to lure Windows users with its latest ad campaign—but is it convincing users to move to a Mac?
Opinion
Interview: Pepper Author Maarten Hekkelman
"What counts for me are the details, and they are all wrong. I found so many UI errors in OS X, I couldn't believe it."
Review
Write Twice, Run Anywhere
Apple takes care of porting the look and feel of your favorite Java widgets and provides you with runtime properties to customize and fine-tune the appearance and placement. But what about the small things?
Sidetrack
Random
Matt Haughey: Of the 300 million or so residents of the USA, I wonder what percentage of the population is ungoogleable.
Friday, September 6, 2002
News
Apple's Education Market Share Half Of Dell's
Apple, like many other hardware vendors, have fallen victim to the aggressive practices of Dell and perceptions of the buying public, according to an IDC analyst.
Kids Climb, Clown, Cavort And Compute At This Camp
"It's exciting showing the kids what these computers can do."
Opinion
Linux Users Say Mac OS X Has Future Over Linux
"OS X provides an answer that is so strong that the question of desktop Linux has gone from 'How?' to 'Why?'."
Review
Let Her Rip With Apple's iPod
Thanks to Apple Computer, there is now a device that may fundamentally change the way we listen to music.
AOL For Mac OS X Delivers On Its Many Promises
AOL for Mac OS X is a pleasure to use, as is everything else on my Mac these days.
IntelliMouse Optical
Although it's not advertised as a gaming mouse, it does serve admirably in that area. There isn't much that Microsoft could have done to improve it, but a smoother, quieter scroll wheel and rubber side grips would be welcome in the next revision.
Sidetrack
Punishing the Innocents
Recent behaviors by Microsoft has reminded of one rule that I try to keep to when developing software: never punish the innocent.
We are implmeneting a 25-alphanumeric passcode that you'd have to laboriously key in before you can use our software, because, well, you know, there are a lot of piracy out there, and you'd understand by tolerating a simple inconvience, everybody wins.
Oh, you've changed your software? Then you need a new passcode. Your old one will not work. You know, there are a lot of piracy out there, and you'd understand by tolerating a simple inconvience, everybody wins.
Oh, you've installed the new service patch, and your Windows doesn't work anymore? Well, you know the drill.
What, you want to take that recorded television programme to your bedroom so that you can watch it while lying on the bed? Sorry, no can do. You know, it's better that way.
Random
Dan Gillmor: It's beyond me why anyone can even begin to trust Microsoft's "Trusted Computing" security push.
Food
Judy Hourihan: Recently, I've become a Google cook.
Bo Johan Peter Lindberg: Perhaps the tinyness is essential for [Gusto's] popularity?
Wintel
Microsoft To Target Xbox Hackers
Microsoft may backtrack on an earlier pledge not to use its Xbox Live online gaming service to crack down on "mod chips" — chips that modify the Xbox console so it can run copied game discs and unlicensed software.
Lead Windows Developer Bugged By Security
"We really haven't done everything we could to protect our customers... Our products just aren't engineered for security."
Windows XP Media Center: Who Needs It? Not Me
What? You can do all of that stuff right now? Oh yeah, that's right, you can.
Top Ten Benefits Of MS WinXP Media Edition - LawMeme Style
Microsoft is happy that you have access to "your own" content, but not content that your own mother may want to share with you.
Thursday, September 5, 2002
Top Stories
Mac OS X 10.2 Jagaur
Although Steve Jobs declared version 10.1 to be the "mainstream release" of Mac OS X, Jaguar, with its unique branding and pumped-up feature set, represents OS X's first real step into the mass market. I just hope it's got what it takes to make it. After all, it's a jungle out there.
Mac, Camera, Action!
Following the lead of one of Hollywood's biggest names, Ben Hammersley produces his debut film — on a laptop.
Tear Sheet
While Swtich campaign clearly draws the battle lines on the OS front going forward, other overtures between the two companies do not. Apple's recent release of the iPod for Windows, for instance, points out an uneasy alliance if ever there was one, with the two companies slapping each other with one hand and slapping each other on the back with the other.
News
Faceoff: Macs Vs Windows
An Apple for the teacher? Doubt it. In Central New York, teachers and students alike probably use a Windows-based personal computer.
Maine Rings In A New School Year With iBooks
The 18,000 seventh-graders in Maine will begin class this year with new iBooks, as the Maine Learning and Technology Initiative begins its first full year of providing the systems to students.
Apple Offers Free Gifts To .Mac Members
Apple has started offering .Mac members 100 free 4x6 Kodak prints through the iPhoto print service and a free copy of the popular puzzle game, Alchemy Deluxe.
An Interview With Tim Bumgarner - Lead Engineer Of AppleScript Studio
Opinion
Perhaps It's Time To Close A Few Apple Stores
If you are reading this Mr. Jobs, you have a problem. Whoever you have in charge of hiring people is doing you (and me) an injustice.
Payoffs For Laptop Learning Long-Term, Multifaceted
The Class of 2008 will be unlike any that came before it in Maine.
Beware The Celebrity CEO
It's not necessarily a good thing if a company's leader is too well-known.
Review
Scaled-Down Software In Photoshop's Image
Having equipped Elements with 90 percent of Photoshop's features for 15 percent of the price, Adobe has just written an attractive little rule of its own.
The Two Faces Of Jaguar
If you don't have a compelling reason to install Jaguar today, wait for the inevitable 10.2.1 update. And if you just can't do without it, do your homework first.
Bigger And Better
In short, and just for a moment taking one's eye off the attractiveness of the new big iMac, this thing isn't so much a computer as a lifestyle machine.
Play It Safe
There are few utilities more indispensable for Mac OS users than Symantec's Norton Utilities for Macintosh.
Speed Is In The Cards
Are processor upgrades worth the money?
Do Ya Think I'm OS Xy?
Once only a Mac geek's dream, OS X now cuts it as an operating system with something for us all.
Bigger iPods And iMacs
Both products have features that will make them desirable to get and a pleasure to own.
Sidetrack
Random
Crazy Apple Rumors Site: Woz finally gets around to installing OS 9. "I figured it was probably safe to try it out now."
Dan Gillmor: They've stopped one online music service. They haven't stopped progress.
If Microsoft sells a Works for Mac, with at least Word, Works, Encarta, and Money, for the same price as the Windows version, I'll buy it in an instant.
Wintel
HSBC Rejects Microsoft Licensing Model
High street bank HSBC has criticised Microsoft's moves towards subscription-based licensing, claiming that it forces too fast an upgrade cycle with few benefits for business users.
Microsoft's Control-Freak "Entertainment PC"
Microsoft's most important customers are not end users. They are the intermediaries.
Microsoft Dangles .Net Server In Front Of Customers
Microsoft called on some of its top software executives Wednesday at a developer gathering here as it prepares to release the next version of its server operating system, which is expected to ease some server management and security headaches for customers.
Wednesday, September 4, 2002
Top Stories
Q&A With Steve Wozniak
Mention the name "Woz," and most Mac users will know exactly who you're talking about. After all, they've been enjoying the fruits of Steve Wozniak's labors for years.
On Platforms
In building platform businesses, there is no question as to whether Apple or Microsoft or IBM or Lotus or Sun or Novell will have conflict with their ecosystem - they will, at some point, to some degree.
802.11, .Mac, Backup — All Coming Together
The individual technologies are not groundbreaking of themselves, but what I find interesting is that I can string these services together to fill a need.
News
Boston Woos Macworld
Boston convention officials will meet tomorrow with the head of IDG World Expo in an effort to bring the Macworld computer trade show back to the area in 2004.
Emagic Releases Logic Platinum For OS X, Sweetens Crossgrade Deal
This is accompanied by the simultaneous release of Mac OS X hardware drivers for Emagic's range of USB MIDI and audio interfaces.
Britannica Ships 2003 Ultimate Reference Suite
Laptops As A Fourth 'R'
Maine is doing a service for the nation by this bold experiment. Computers are becoming too common to be left out of classrooms.
Opinion
Redmond's Prices May Cost Gates Dear
Microsoft's costly software has seen PC makers turning to alternatives. The trend fosters innovation, which is a synonym for Mac.
Review
Bluetooth Link For Apple
Simple to install. Easy to use. This is how networking should be.
Apple's Jaguar Upgrade Is The Cat's Meow
If you're already running 10.1, judge it based on the new features. You could always wait for 10.3; it's sure to be better still.
Mac OS X: Look Who Else Is Switching
Jaguar's Unix underpinnings have been given a much-needed refresh.
Sidetrack
Thinking in Tunes
1
Does it make more sense for Mac users who also have to dabble in the Windows world to buy the Windows version of iPod?
After all, iTunes is freely downloadable whereas the Apple-approved MusicMatch is not.
2
The quest for a good MP3 player on Windows to, at least, equal the usefulness and usability of iTunes continues for me. If you have any suggestions, please send them in.
3
I'm using WinAmp right now, and I have no idea how to create different playlists.
Random
5 years ago - Doc Searls: The simple fact is that Apple always was Steve's company, even when he wasn't there.
DJ Adams: It used to be that peripherals Just Worked with Windows. Not any more.
Jeffrey Zeldman: Build a complex income tax structure filled with loopholes and you encourage citizens to cheat on their taxes. Swear to boost shareholder profits every quarter no matter what the economy is doing and you foster an environment where needed workers will be ìdownsized,î Research & Development will be stifled in favor of the short-term sure thing, and corporate heads will lie to protect their swimming pools.
How did businesess used to survive before e-mail?
Wintel
MS Pushes New Tablet On Students
While Microsoft plans to target all consumers with the tablet, the company considers it ideal for school.
Microsoft: It's A TV, Not A PC
The latest flavor of Windows XP turns an ordinary PC into a digital entertainment center.
Microsoft Consumers Can Join Class-Action Suit, Florida Judge Rules
Issues of Microsoft's monopoly position, market definition and the alleged violation of state law "are ideally suited for classwide determination."
Tuesday, September 3, 2002
Top Stories
Saving Money With Open Source
"Apple is the first vendor to bet the farm on BSD. By making Darwin the core of OS X, Apple has made the biggest corporate commitment to OSS so far."
Bluetooth Will Succeed
Apple believes in bluetooth, Apple added it, Apple helps make it a standard, and Bluetooth will succeed.
News
Apple Talks Expansion, Noise, Dual Processor Systems
"With the release of Jaguar and an all dual processor lineup in our pro systems, our professional customers, and several new customers, are excited about the systems."
Can Appel's Jaguar Break Windows?
Whether any companies will take the bait has yet to be determined.
KC Man Profits From Apple's Blunder
The Kansas City entrepreneur has developed a slick-looking plastic cover that covers an odd hole on the lower front cover of the Apple Macintosh QuickSilver G4 computer.
Maine Teachers Share Lessons Learned About Laptops
As public schools across Maine prepare to give laptop computers to nearly 17,000 seventh-graders, teachers at nine schools that pioneered the program are sharing what they've learned.
Windows Facing A Challenge
Enthusiasm for alternatives to Windows is at its highest level in more than a decade, according to a report from Yankee Group.
Opinion
Hooray For Today's OSes
For the first time in the history of personal computing, mainstream systems don't routinely crash.
Review
Jaya Explains Why KL-Singapore Talks Stalled
Foreign Minister S. Jayakumar yesterday took questions from reporters after talks with his Malaysian counterpart Syed Hamid Albar, which saw a sudden shift in Malaysia's position on how to settle the string of issues that have hung over bilateral ties.
Jaguar Stalks Windows Users
But does it have what it takes to get them to consider a Macintosh?
Good Reasons To Upgrade To OS X 10.2
I almost hate to say it, because I too was bothered by Apple's pricing policy, but after using 10.2 for a couple of weeks, I'm sold: If you use Mac OS X, upgrading to 10.2 is a worthwhile investment.
Sidetrack
Watson
With all these recent debate on Sherlock 3 versus Watson, there's one aspect that wasn't brought up.
If I recall correctly, Watson scraps web sites. I.e., it didn't actually ask for permission to retrieve data from various web sites, and present them in a different format.
And if I am still recalling correctly, Apple does ask for permission.
Monster
I used two different computers to download e-mail: my trusty Jaguar at home, and a not-so-trusty Windows XP at work.
And, nowadays, I always feel sad when downloading e-mail at work. Hey, look at all those junk mails, just going straight to the trash. I should be feeding them to my Mail.app at home, training the junk mail filter.
Sigh.
Still a lot of false negatives from the filter. Looks like patient is required.
Random
Macs Only!: iChatting with your significant other across the room seems like the ultimate geeky relationship and you both may want to seek counseling.
eWeek: Gateway's move on Apple's terrority: The Jobsfather IV.
Richard Halkett: [Powerbook G4] is lovely, and I've wanted it for ages.
Businessman turns Jaguar into a fish tank.
Youth is wasted on the youngBefore you know it's come and goneToo soon.
Wintel
New PCs Restrict Copying
Microsoft and HP on Tuesday released additional details about digital entertainment PCs coming for the holidays. But new anti-copying technology could hamper sales, say analysts and potential buyers.
Microsoft 'Patches' Tear At Computer Users' Good Will
Dealing with the patches is costing U.S. businesses billions of dollars, creating major headaches for consumers and companies alike, and perhaps even playing a role in stagnating the growth of the Internet and computing in general.
More PC Makers Try Alternatives To Microsoft Suites
Alternatives to Microsoft Corp.'s desktop productivity software suites are gaining ground as PC makers look to cut costs.
Monday, September 2, 2002
News
I Mua! Macintosh 'Speaks' Hawaiian
10.2 added an option to the computer's internal "keyboard" allowing users to type in the kahako and the 'okina, two characters essential to the Hawaiian written language as it is now taught.
$37m Buys Experiment In Schools
Maine is plunging into an edcuational debate that is at least as old as television.
Mac Aficionados Line Up To See New Computer Store
Apple opened its first store in Wisconsin on Saturday, welcoming hundreds of cheering fans to a bright, shiny, high-tech haven.
Review
Introduction To And Experiences With Mac Cocoa
Dreamweaver MX
Let me summarize by saying Dreamweaver MX remains the state of the art tool for Internet publishing and application development.
Sidetrack
Random
An Apple A Day : MacMusic.
Mark Pilgrim: ClarusX 2.0. You know you want it.
Chris Cummer: From bringing joy to millions to boring the crap out of people in one easy upgrade.
Marc Canter: Apple is using Open Source as a puppet to achieve their own ends.
Wintel
WinXP SP1 Out Next Monday - But Can You Avoid It?
Essentially, Microsoft reserves the right for it and its designated chums to steal your stuff, but they're not going to abuse that right, of course, and Microsoft now explicitly states that unlicensed copies will not qualify for upgrades and fixes.
Vendors Ready For Tablet OS
Microsoft's Windows XP Tablet PC Edition OS isn't slated to launch until Nov. 7, but companies such as Motion Computing, Hewlett-Packard, Toshiba, and Fujitsu already have revealed plans to release Tablet PC products.
Microsoft's Newest Challenger: Moore's Law
Entire PCs can now be bought for less than the cost of one copy of Microsoft Office software — and an interesting new market is born.
Sunday, September 1, 2002
News
Apple Unleashes Jaguar For Its Latest Bite At Unix
Unix may be ancient, but it works and better than ever with te fast processors and gorgeous flat screens available today.
Review
America Online For Mac OS X
The latest version is a quantum leap ahead; it looks as if it was designed by folks who know and love Macs.
Quicken Wins Battle Of The Upgrades
Finally, a real upgrade: Intuit's Quicken 2003 represents a major improvement over earlier offerings.
Sidetrack
Hackyour way to a new boot image in your Jaguar.
Matthew Rothenberg and Nick dePlume, in eWeek: Apple has been working steadily on maintaining current, PC-compatible builds of [Mac OS X].