Apple Grrl

I don’t have much to say about this news other than WTF? It turns out that Apple very quietly started replacing the displays on a few of their 13″ MacBook’s with the same one that they use on the Air – a better quality part. Cool, right?

Wrong, judging by the online response in forums and blogs. I can’t decide if people are genuinely upset over the switch (and if so, why??) or if they are just posturing for page views. Either way, I think it is kind of cool, and a nice little boost from Apple.

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How to calibrate your MacBook Pro battery for longer life.

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I have the iMic, and I love it, but I am still drooling over this turntable to iPod recorder by Numark. WANT.

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One eBay seller ignored the recent boycott over eBay’s fee and feedback changes and netted a tidy profit as a result. He listed an unopened, new in box Apple IIc for sale, and it was snapped up for nearly $3000 by a happy buyer who wanted the 20 year old computer as a piece of history.

Said the lucky winner:

“I honestly can’t see parting with the computer, ever,” he said. “Even if I grow bored of reliving the glory days, it’s a functioning piece of history, and a beautiful one at that. It’s better than anything I’d pick up at an art gallery.”

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In the news this week, Apple filed a patent petition that would eliminate the irritating necessity of standing in line. Once the technology is live, it is expected that Apple will begin testing it out in Starbucks stores, a good fit after the hugely successful iTunes song of the day campaign and iTunes WiFi channel in Starbucks from this year.

Basically, the technology would allow you to pre-order your cup of java or snack before heading into the store, pay for it, receive an order number and grab the item at the pick up window when you arrived – no waiting. It’s like cutting in line at a concert, without the ensuing fisticuffs.

This revolutionary development for the impatient out there, like me, will work with technology like the iPhone. It is not, however, expected to be iPhone exclusive – it should also work with your MP3 player, PDA, laptop or regular cell phone, though I do expect Apple to give its loyal iPhone customers first dibs on the “beta” version.

Apple’s application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office describes a process for placing an order and then notifying customers when an order is ready to grab at a pick-up station. One goal, the patent application notes, is to avoid an “annoying wait in a long queue if the purchaser arrives before completion of the order.”

Of course, all good ideas come with a price, and the cost of this innovation is information. Stores opting in to the program, like Starbucks, would be tracking your orders and learning your favorite things, tailoring your shopping experience to suit your needs. I’m sure marketing to consumer taste would logically follow that, unfortunately.

The patent puts Apple’s partnership with Starbucks in a new light. The technology promises to morph Apple from the business of simply selling gadgets and music and movies that can be played on those devices into an intermediary in all kinds of exchanges.

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So you all heard me chime in on the network issues with Leopard. I sorted a few of them out by using Open DNS, but not all of them. Plus, that didn’t take into account the fact that the eMac was working fine on the WiFi network and the MacBook was not.

As a Christmas present to myself, I recently grabbed a new Airport Extreme router to replace my Original Airport (the space ship shaped one). What can I say, they were on sale, I had a coupon – it all worked out. The weird part is that is that all of my networking problems were solved simply by plugging it in and turning it on, from stability to signal strength.

This disappoints me. Sure, I love having the ease and simplicity of Mac use back, but I should have had that with the space ship router, which was completely fine. Does this mean that people who also have an older, perfectly fine Airport who have saved up to get Leopard will be forced to ditch their old faithful router or run the risk of keeping it and having a (shudder) Windoze style, never-working-well experience?

There are several things that have happened since the release of Leopard that makes me frown in Apple’s general direction. They have made a few bad marketing decisions, there have been complaints about their attention to detail on the Leopard project, and they have still not addressed the network connectivity and other issues in spite of repeated complaints from users.

Do I regret switching to Leopard? Absolutely not. It’s several steps above Tiger in most things, it’s gorgeous, and I love using it. I just didn’t like the amount of time it took EACH DAY to mess with the network when I had the original Airport hooked up. The original airport which was working beautifully with every other Mac OS it came in contact with.

Original Airport Currently for Sale On Ebay (5 day auction starting 12/4/07, no reserve)

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Apple released the Apple Gift Guide this week. I can’t believe it is almost Christmas! The link below will get you free shipping on items ordered from the Gift Guide. Enjoy!

Apple Store Gift Guide – Free Shipping on all Gift Guide items.

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PC Magazine readers give Apple an over all 9.1 score on customer service. Way to go Apple!

Of course, no Windows machine comes close to Apple’s 9.1 overall score. But even Apple was down from last year in just about every category except technical support, which went up to 8.4 points. Apple’s high marks extend even into areas we don’t have room to print charts for, such as the 85 percent rating for the reliability of software included on the computer (aah, iLife), the 93 percent score for new desktops working right out of the box, and the 9 out of 10 score for the attitude of the tech-support provider. Even the Apple.com Web site gets kudos for how much information it makes available.

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This is a well written piece on why Windows users are often reluctant to make the switch to Mac.

Let me say it right off the bat: Macs running OS X give the best computing experience on the planet. It’s not that Macs are perfect, but compared to everything else, there is nothing like the Mac experience. With that in mind, it’s difficult for many Mac users to comprehend why there are so many Windows users suffering needlessly by running a Windows system. That’s where I come in.

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Apple has released the fine print of the $100 iPhone credit. (SecretNotes)

Apple has released a software update for iMacs that fixes a few glitches. (Apple)

Marketers dissect Apple’s strategy for loyal customers. (CRM)

PC Magazine plays with the new iPod Touch. (PC Mag)

MacWorld talks about user driven news versus media conglomerate driven news. (MacWorld)

Learn to create Keynote slides for a series of images. (MacWorld)

Is Apple breaking into the movie rental business on iTunes? (Money)

Undercover security application recovers 4 MacBooks. (MacNN)

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MacWorld has written a very fair side by side cost comparison of PCs and Macs. I highly recommend checking it out. They have remained objective in acknowledging places where Apple falls short (such as business priced models with service access in mind) and they have managed to avoid the fanboy trap of using Apple ad tag lines to defend what they like. I thought it was a balanced analysis.

1. There is plenty of software available for the Mac, both from established software houses and from individuals. Surprisingly, there are more products in some product categories than there are for Windows. For example, every time I turn around, I stumble across another project management tool for the Mac. There are more browsers for the Mac than there are for Windows.

I don’t think Windows users realize just how many Windows software product categories Microsoft has come to own, eliminating all or most of the viable competition. Though it’s true that in some categories there are only two or three Mac offerings, all in all there is a very solid, rich spread of software makers creating Mac applications. As a longtime software reviewer, I’ve been surprised by the quality of these applications.

That’s just one of many points he makes. Never fear, Windoze fans, you win out in several categories, but overall the Macs have a good showing here.

Related Articles By Me: Laptop Dilemma: Mac or PC?

Tags: Mac vs PC, MacWorld, Compare Windows and Mac, Jobs vs Gates

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Apple made some big announcements yesterday while I had my head stuck in the keyboard writing for a client deadline. Lucky for you, bloggers around the appleverse were all over the good news. You can read about the announcements of the new, brushed aluminum iMacs (oooo pretty), the new iLife and iWork software suites and more at these fine sites:

Think Secret

MacWorld, Press Briefing Live Update

MacRumors

The new iMacs are super sleek brushed aluminum and glass and super fast at 2.0 and 2.4 Ghz. They are available now at the Apple Store on and off line. iLife and iWork include new features and new programs like the Numbers spreadsheet program, that make them even more useful than they already were. I can’t wait to try them out, and the temptation to replace honey’s perfectly good eMac with a new iMac is strong. I’ll have to use the force to resist for a while, since I’m trying to save up for the next generation iPhone right now.

Is Apple’s goal to overtake the PC in market share? Jobs said, “Our goal is to make the best personal computers in the world and make products we are proud to sell and recommend to our family and friends. We want to do that at the lowest prices we can.

“But there’s some stuff in our industry that we wouldn’t be proud to ship. And we just can’t do it. We can’t ship junk,” said Jobs. “There are thresholds we can’t cross because of who we are. And we think that there’s a very significant slice of the [market] that wants that too. You’ll find that our products are not premium priced. You price out our competitors’ products, and add features that actually make them useful, and they’re the same or actually more expensive. We don’t offer stripped-down, lousy products.”

Tags: iLife, iWork, Steve Jobs, Apple, iMac, Brushed Steel

Technorati Tags: iLife, iWork, Steve Jobs, Apple, iMac, Brushed Steel

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I made two recent Mac purchases, and I love them both.

The first recent purchase was Mojotones by VoodooErgonomics. I’ve been using a product called Xingtones. Xingtones has been great, I have no problem with Xingtones, but I have to say Mojotones came along and blew it away. They are both $20, so well within most budgets. They both make excellent sounding ring tones. they are both easy to use, though I have to give Mojotones the edge here for being a little more pleasant to look at and overall a slightly simpler interface.

So if they are both equally good products for creating your own ring tones? What really put Mojotones in first place? Four little words: Full Song Ring Tones. also, it is fully integrated with iTunes. Unless the song is locked by the artist, you can make any song in your iTunes folder into 30 clip on repeat or a full song. I love it! Plus, it is one click action and it works with any phone. Xingtone only works with one phone number at a time.

The other little gem I bought this week is the Griffin iMic. For under $40, I can now transfer all of my vinyl and cassettes to my MacBook. How sweet it is! It is a completely plug and play device. If you find the set up as it comes in the box is too noisy on your records and you don’t want to run them through garage band for clean up, they also sell a $20 grounding cable for your turntable that eliminates the problem. The hissing noise just sounds like an old school record to me, so I don’t need the second cable. I’m having a blast with this. It’s too bad I have to work to afford these toys, otherwise I’d be playing with the thing all weekend.

I’d write more gushing words about the iMic, but I have to go play some more old school punk records now. I’m currently on 7 Seconds. See you on the flip side!

Tags: iMic, iTunes, Xingtone, Mojotones

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Do you think you can throw down against the big boys? Are you serious about your Mac? If you think you have what it takes, the folks at MacMod are having their annual competition to mod those Macs. Here is the press release:

Annual MacMod.com Competition kicks off August 1st with a worldwide call for modders to submit their Apple-related modifications for the 4th annual event. Thousands of dollars in prizes to be won!

MacMod, a recognized internet source for free technical news and advice on the latest techniques and products for upgrading and modifying Apple products, today announced the rules and entry requirements for “The Great Mac Mod Challenge 2007” an annual competition in which Apple technology owners are recognized in various categories for their creativity and ingenuity in the upgrades and modifications made to their systems to improve performance, appearance, and functionality. Coinciding with the contest, which begins taking entries August 1st, the month of August has been designated “Modify Your Mac Month.”

The event attracts some of the most talented and enthusiastic Mac users around the world and each year the modifications raise the bar higher. Memorable winners of challenges past include the Falcon Mac Mini, Necronomicon G4, the iTablet, a wooden iPod, and the M3 robotic Mini.

“The ingenuity of the modding community never ceases to amaze me,” says Anthony King, Director of Marketing and co-founder of MacMod.com. “Every year I think we’ve done it all, but every year the modifications get more and more elaborate.”

“Modders” may submit as many mods as they like. Modification categories include Internal Changes, External Changes, iPod & iPhone Modifications, Peripheral Modifications (Apple TV, Airport, etc.), Software Mods and Hacks, and Miscellaneous Modifications. Entries are judged on their level of difficulty, creativity, integration, and functionality.

In the spirit of fun, the panel of judges will also name “Best Dressed,” “Class Clown,” “Biggest Geek,” and “Most Likely to end up on eBay.”

This year’s competition will feature major prizes for the top 3 designs plus participation gifts for all the modders. While some prizes are still being planned, the first place mod will be showcased at MacWorld Expo 2008, receive the Mod of The Year trophy, a MacMod.com Tee, a roundtrip ticket to MacWorld Expo 2008*, and an All-Access Super Pass to MacWorld Expo 2008 including PRIORITY KEYNOTE SEATING!

Did you see that?? They are giving some excellent and mondo prizes this year, so get your bad self over to MacMod and enter. Bookmark this post to – if you enter and win I want to see your mod in the comments!

One of the previous winners:

Tags: mac mod, macmod mod your mac, contest, necromac, case mod

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If you are one of the many who are not at Apple’s famous WWDC conference right now, don’t worry. There are plenty of sources for up to the minute WWDC information you can rely on.

Gizmodo is running a WWDC live blog during the conference, which you can see at the Gizmodo website.

Engadget is running a WWDC live blog during the conference, which you can see at the Endgadget website.

See the complete list of WWDC live bloggers from Michael Yurechko.

iPhone Alley is offering a live audio stream.

Did I forget a site with a stream, blog or video feed? Let us know in the comments.

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in 1988, Apple released this video, simulating what they thought the computing world would be like in 2010. With 2010 fast approaching, how accurate do you think they were?

[tags]apple, future computer, future of computing, nostradamus, mac, steve jobs, commercial, apple 1988, apple 2010, knowledge navigator[/tags]

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The results of our first contest ever, the Mod Your Mac Contest, were underwhelming at best. Here is the breakdown:

257 emails about the contest. 256 asked legitimate questions about deadlines, submission methods, where to get the skins, etc. which I answered both in email and by making a post dedicated to user questions. 1 of the 257 emails told me the prizes were “stupid”. In reply to that, based on the number of entries I got, I’m glad I didn’t spend more on prizes now. So there was interest, and the contest was promoted everywhere online, by myself and many other people, link sites and forums. Lesson learned: interest is not the same as participation. (more…)

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Macworld has live coverage on their site from the historic dual stage presentation of Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. You can read the coverage on their site by clicking here. Some highlights:

“We made this bet that this paradigm shift would happen, to graphical interfaces, and that the Mac would be the one to do it,” said Gates. “The big bet wasn’t Mac versus Windows, it was character-mode versus graphics interface.”

(more…)

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We have now received the first entries in the Mod Your Mac contest! They look lovely! Keep them coming in people!

Original contest post here.

Questions Post here.

Reminder post here.

My MacBook mod here.

DON’T FORGET TO ENTER! DEADLINE MAY 31, 2007.

[tags]mod your mac contest, apple contest, win ipod speakers, win itunes gift card, apple mod contest, apple reporter contest, mac contest[/tags]

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Who has the industry clout to bring Steve Jobs and Bill Gates together for an appearance on stage in what is an industry first? The Wall Street Journal, apparently. Their columnist, Walt Mossberg, has achieved the impossible: bringing Jobs and Gates together on stage at the Wall Street Journal’s D5: All Things Digital conference. What I would give to be in attendance there!

This is an historic moment in the technoverse. Two industry titans, normally at odds, playing nice for a day? Unheard of.

The tech titans from Apple Inc. and Microsoft Corp. didn’t even appear together when they announced a partnership that helped Jobs save Apple at Macworld in Boston 10 years ago. (Gates teleconferenced in remotely, appearing on a screen looming over Jobs.) It could be the first time they’ve been together in such a setting since Jobs famously interviewed Gates as a possible suitor for Apple’s new computer in an onstage version of the “Macintosh Dating Game” back in 1984.

So when is the big day? Wednesday at D5 is when computer junkies everywhere will get this rare treat. And what will be the big topic for the day? That is a hotly contested secret. Chic geeks everywhere are hoping for a true dialog on operating systems, the future of computing, the possibilty of bridging the Microsoft / Apple gap, future plans for each company, and so much more. Whether or not they delve that deeply into their 20+ year rivalry and look that closely at their respective futures remains to be seen.

I’ll update this post with links to transcripts and video of the historic meeting when they start appearing online after Wednesday’s momentous occasion.

Source Slashdot | Gates and Jobs to Share A Stage

DON’T FORGET TO ENTER THE MOD YOUR MAC CONTEST! CLICK HERE!

[tags]D5 All Things Digital, The D, Wall Street Journal, Walt Mossberg, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Jobs and Gates, Conference[/tags]

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