Sunday, June 30, 2002
Top Stories
At Awards, The I's Have It
Once in a decade, if we are lucky, a new product will be so perfectly conceived that it merits designation as a design icon. Apple's second iMac can be added to the list.
Apple Gets Five IDEA Design Awards
Sponsored by BusinesWeek, the annual awards have been created to reward designs ranging from the PCs to skateboards, with everything in between.
News
PCs: More Than 1 Billion Served
Approximately 1 billion PCs have been shipped worldwide since the mid-'70s, according to a study released Sunday by consulting firm Gartner.
Grand Opening Of AppleCentre@ Orchard
The design of the place was futuristic and was reminiscent of the photos of MacWorld Expo and Apple Stores overseas.
Opinion
Review
XPlay Beats Apple To The iPod-Windows Punch
Jobs owes MediaFour a thank you card.
Speedy Mac Drive Can Do Windows, Too
What a rewarding experience it is running a massive 120 gigabyte hard drive capable of moving back and forth between Windows and Macintosh platforms simply by unplugging it from one machine and plugging it into another.
Life In Six Degrees: Confessions From A Beta-Tester Of A Killer App
Six Degrees is a remarkable new piece of software for Mac OS X and Windows.
The Mac Hybrid Studio
My main goal in designing this high-end Mac-based studio is to create a music-production system that is versatile enough to tackle almost any assignment, expandable enought o adapt to new situations, and powerful enough to deliver professional-level results.
Saturday, June 29, 2002
Top Stories
The New Apple Of Mac Fans' Eyes
The 1,711-sq ft showroom — one of the largest in Asia and modelled after 7,000-sq ft megastores in America — is the third AppleCentre in Singapore.
Apple Execs' Stock Sales Studied
Twice within the last two years, Apple executives sold companys tock worth millions of dollars just weeks before Apple warned of disappointing financial results.
News
CEO: Corel's On The Comeback
Having got costs under control last year, Corel now says it has resources and ideas for a new, smarter company.
Are All-In-One PCs Doomed?
With the exception of Apple Computer's original iMac, most of these computers experience light sales.
New Apache Worm Starts To Spread
Security experts are rushing to decode a worm program that exploits a 2-week-old flaw to infect computers running vulnerable versions of the popular open-source Apache Web server application.
Yellow Dog Linux 2.3 Ships
Yellow Dog Linux 2.3 now offers the KDE 3 desktop.
Opinion
MacMania Cruise: High Tech On The High Seas
Everyone had nothing but priase.
Review
3-D Data Visualization On Mac OS X
Digital Interface A Must For PowerBook Fans
with it, the PowerBook becomes a potent desktop workstation as well as a versatile portable computer.
Wintel
Broken Trust
The problem is that Palladium requires users to place a huge amount of trust in Microsoft.
Dell, Others Tout Flat Panels
Looking to cash in on the current popularity of flat-panel displays, Dell Computer, Hitachi and ViewSonic touted their liquid crystal display monitors this week at the annual TechXNY trade show in New York City.
Is Microsoft's Palladium A Trojan Horse?
The challenge now facing Microsoft is hwo to convince the sketpics that Palladium isn't all a plot to gain control of how technology evolves.
Friday, June 28, 2002
News
Opera CEO Sings Praises Of Browser
Opera Software CEO Jon von Tetzchner can claim an achievement held by few of his fellow tech entrepreneurs: He's competed head-on against Microsoft and lived to tell the tale.
Distributor Ingram Sees No Bump Or Dip In PC Demand
"Deamdn is relatively stable. It is not negative, not positive, not optimistic. It is netural at this point."
Taste Of Apple In Avid's Xpress DV
"We thank Apple for showing us what you can do on a laptop."
New O'Reilly Book Hits Store Shelves
O'Reilly & Associates has rleased Learning Unix for Mac OS X: a "concise" and "easy-to-follow" introduction to Unix function sunder Mac OS X.
Review
Apple eMac: Not Just Going To School
If you are sold on the Mac experience and software, the eMac is an affordable entry point that addresses the shortcomings of the original iMac.
Apple iBook (14-Inch)
Bigger display headlines latest iBook.
Sidetrack
Me thinks you wouldn't see any updates to Apple's iMac, now that Ingram Micro is sitting on 15 weeks worth of inventory.
Meanwhile, I am still waiting for my iTiVo.
Wintel
Microsoft Releases RosettaNet Tools
Microsoft said Thursday that it has enhanced its software program that helps companies adopt RosettaNet e-business specifications.
Thursday, June 27, 2002
Top Stories
Apple's New 'Switch' Ad Features Prominent Publisher
The new ad expands the featured real people to the publisher and vice president of The New Yorker Magazine.
News
Avid Xpress DV Challenges Final Cut Pro
A New Way To Get Lunch
Hastings Public Schools students won't see cash registers in lunchrooms anymore.
Philips Unveils The First Demonstration Of A Wireless IEEE 1394 Solution For THe Connected Home
With this solution, Philips meets the increased demand to connect consumer electronics and PC clusters in the home without additional wires.
Opinion
Is Apple Overstating Earnings?
An article in New York Post makes the assertion that Apple is among five corporations especially noted for accounting practices which overstate "core earnings" to a remarkable degree.
Apple's Switch Hit
It will be interesting to see if the eight people featured in Apple's ads on switching are still using Macs a year from now.
Apple, Please Open Up The iPod API!
The iPod is cool, but it could be even cooler.
Review
Transferring Windows Stuff When You Switch To A Mac
Transitioning to the Mac is easier than it seems, and doesn't take much technical skills.
Mac-Over Magic
You can turn a G3-based PowerMac which is more than two years old into a G4 machine.
Puncturing Web Ads Before They Pop Up
If advertisers really want their ads to be noticed, maybe they should do what TV and print advertisers do: make the ads clever, engaging or even thoughtful. In the meantime, the war continues ó and escalates.
A Click Saved: Shortcuts Through Everyday Software
Shortcuts let you quickly dispatch frequently used commands. And in this day of repetitive-stress injuries caused by too much typing, they can save wear and tear on the muscles and tendons.
Nature CD-ROMs Are Very Different Animals
In addition to listing all the reading, math and science skills that its products teach, maybe Knowledge Adventure should add chutzpah to the list.
Wintel
The Vaunted Pentium 4: More Hype Than Zip?
Different processors do different amounts of work in each clock cycle. That's why it's hard to compare the true speed of chips from different manufacturers based on their specifications alone.
Wednesday, June 26, 2002
Top Stories
iMac, iBook, iDolatry
For many Mac users, it's much more than just a machine.
IE(eeeeeee)
Yes, Microsoft, your "free" software has finally asked too much of me... I think you've gotten enough of my time, disk space, and most of all, my attention, and I'm officially bringing the relationship to a close.
Back To Mac
My switch back to Macintosh was not just a good business decision, it was a life-changing experience. Being a Mac to Windows to Mac user, I can honestly say that the Mac changes you from being a victim of technology to a master of it.
Bushels Of New iMacs Piling Up
Apple Computer, which initially could not meet demand for its new flat-panel iMac, now appears to have the opposite problem.
News
Collaborating Long Distance On A Digital Mosaic
When the project began, no one had met face to face. Yet the project inspired a unique collaboration among amateur and professional artists around the world, including a web designer from Ireland, an art director in New Zealand, a Kansas math teacher, a professor in Spain, a pilot from Hawaii.
Scene Stealers: Product Placement Becomes More Ubiquitous
Indeed, Apple Mac is a film regular.
Should You Buy A PC From The Other Steve?
Apple Computer is promising a better way to get PC users up and running with their new computers.
Apple Store Affiliate Scheme 'Coming Soon'
MacHack: The Ghost Of Macintosh Future
The MacHack developers conference - the 17th of which was held last week in Dearborn, Michigan - is tremendously unusual.
Be Inc. Completes Takeover Of Palm
There's a good precedent for this kind of reverse takeover.
Opinion
Snub Macs, Demo To PCs: Adobe At PC Expo/DV Expo
It's Not Just A Job, It's Apple
iPods, Import Licenses, And Apple Engineering
John C Dvorak On Switching
Apple is out there working on a campaign to bring more real users to the platform. Those users are the ones that pay all of our salaries.
Review
Medal Of Honor: Allied Assault
Medal of Honor is one of the best games to ever grace the Macintosh. It is crisp, fresh and incredibly immersive.
I've Switched From Windows, Now What?
Like that first middle-of-the-night excursion to the bathroom in a dark, unfamiliar house, there was some clumsiness in getting used to the new iBook/Mac OS X environment.
Sidetrack
AppleCentre @ Orchard
Apples at the Orchard... How nice.
For those in Singapore this Saturday, come on down to AppleCentre @ Orchard's grand opening, and win yourself an eMac. According to Apple Singapore, the opening event is from 12 to 8 pm, at Level 2, Wheelock Place, right above Borders bookshop.
Wintel
"Mod Chip" For Hacking Xbox Discoontinued
One of the companies making Xbox "mod chips"—add-on components that modify the game machine so it can run illegally copied discs and homemade software—has gone out of business, possibly because of legal pressure from Microsoft.
Why Intel Loves Palladium
Who remembers PSN?
Tuesday, June 25, 2002
Top Stories
The One-Man Studio Revisited
Stand-alone filmmaking comes of age in the digital age with Mac OS X.
News
Apple France Offers Online Store Affiliate Program
The affiliate program is the first of its kind; it's unknown whether Apple will expand the program to other parts of the world.
Senate To Re-Ponder Propriety Of Laptops
The Wyoming Republican has a simple wish. He'd like to take his laptop with him to the Senate floor.
HP Overhauls Consumer Printer Line
Hewlett-Packard, which relies heavily on profits derived from its printer business, announced Tuesday that it is revamping its entire line of consumer printers.
Do You Know Where His Keys Are?
Some people make lists of their books or CDs. Some people take pictures of their possessions for insurance purposes. Matthew McClintock, a 35-year-old webmaster from Chicago, makes lists and takes pictures to an obsessive degree.
Open-And-Shut Case For Laptops? New Hanover Educators Say All Students Need New Computers
As a New Hanover County school principal, Maryann Nunnally never really found computers captivating. Today, as a member of the county school board, she sees their value.
Opinion
Review
You Ought To Meet Jay Jay
A look at Jay Jay in "Sky Heroes to the Rescue" shows it to be up to the same standards of "Reader Rabbit" or the "Carmen Sandiego" series.
Lost In Space
A peculiar mix of action and role playing, Escape Velocity has been a legend with Mac gamers since its debut several years ago. This new version improves graphics, adds tons of new story elements, and runs natively in Mac OS X.
Sidetrack
Questions For Mozilla Experts
I have turned off image-loading in my Mozilla 1.1a. (Doesn't it feel weird to be using a 1.x release of a web browser in this day and age?)
How would I be then selectively load images inside web pages? (In IE, it would be right-click on empty image, select View Picture.)
Wintel
Angry Microsoft Clients Looking At Linux To Get Even
The clock is ticking for companies to comply with Microsoft Corp's new software-pricing policy, a plan criticised for raising customers' software costs while helping Microsoft's bottom line.
Digital Media: Will Microsoft Win Again?
A battle is brewing over the future of digital media that could determine whether consumers are locked into formats controlled by Microsoft or have access to more open standards championed by competitors.
It's A Tablet. It's A Notebook. From Microsoft, A New Hybrid
When Microsoft announces in New York today that machine susing its Tablet PC software will be introduced on Nov. 7, the emphasis will beon using pen-based features to enhance ocnventional notebook computers.
Monday, June 24, 2002
Top Stories
The Secret's Out: Mac's Cheaper
It's a great pity, but a public stoush between Apple Computer Australia and the Gartner market research firm is obscuring some intriguing discoveries about the operation of mixed networks of Macintoshes and Windows PCs.
Legislators Ready To Raid Laptop Fund
Shifting the contents of the laptop fund to general aid might not be as simple as some lawmakers wish because Maine has a four-year, $37.2 million contract with Apple Computer.
News
Opinion
Mac Versus PC — Offensive Advertising
Desperation. That's the word that comes to mind when I see the Apple "Switch" ad campaign.
My Convoluted System Upgrade Path
Moore finally moves from his WallStreet to his Pismo for production work — but not yet to OS X.
Review
Introduction To Overclocking Your Mac
Since the whole world isn't overclocking, there has to be some risk involved.
Quark Xpress 5
QXP5 has a lot to offer, but does the release represent three and a half years of hard work since version 4? Not really, but it is an upgrade well worth having.
Sidetrack
Alt. Browsers
In a world dominated by Microsoft's Internet Explorer, on both Windows and Mac OS X platforms, why doesn't "alternate" web browsers offer an option to import cookies? Or a menu item that "use Internet Explorer to view current page"?
I'm trying out Mozilla 1.1a, and having to log back in to multiple sites is getting on my nerve. :-)
Resize
Maybe Apple should have placed the resize-widget on the top-right corner of windows, rather than the bottom-right.
1. Help balance-out the title bar, with the three traffic lights on the left.
2. Allow windows hidden by the dock to still be easily resized and moved.
Oh well... I wonder what's the reason Apple engineers didn't do this.
Wintel
Microsoft Judge In Uncharged Waters
Fate of proposed consent decree uncertain as judge considers tougher antitrust penalties.
Sunday, June 23, 2002
News
PC Sector Pessimism May Be Overdone, Investors Say
Troubles at HP, Apple and AMD may represent difficulties at the companies, rather than sectors, PC rivals and other investors said.
Apple's iPod, Once Only For Macs, Gets Software For Windows
Apple's iPod may get a sales boost as a small Iowa company tomorow begins selling software that enables the device to work with Windows, analysts said.
Crouching Apple, Hidden "Jaguar"
Technology Recovery Yet To Arrive
Here at the half-year mark, with earnings warnings from the likes of Intel, Apple and Oracle, the tech sector might soon be adopting the attitude of baseball fans whose teams drop out of the pennant race: Wait 'til next year.
Apple Store #31 Opens In Short Hills, NJ
This retail store marks the first time Apple has actively promoted its new "Switch" ad campaign through a redone Home section.
Opinion
MacHack: Meet Dylan The Yoot
"It scares me to work on Windows. I just prefer the Mac so much more."
Review
Free Web-Mail Waning?
If you want to use a Web-mail account as your primary inbox, you'd better choose carefully.
Girth Control
It is truly an aesthetic pleasure to use this machine.
Wintel
New Pentium 4-M Breaks 2GHz Barrier
Intel will break the 2GHz barrier for notebook PCs on Monday with the launch of a new Pentium 4-M chip.
Saturday, June 22, 2002
Top Stories
Improving The Outlook For Entourage
PC users moving to Mac OS X have Paul Berkowitz to thank for helping them port their personal data to a new platform. Apple and Microsoft should also be thankful, as well as a little embarrased that they are relying on an individual developer to make up for their own shortcomings.
News
Interview: Jordan Hubbard
Jordan Hubbard is one of the creators of FreeBSD and currently a manager of Apple's Darwin project. With just a high school education, Jordan has offered some impressive contributions to the world of computing.
Wall Street Braces For Second-Quarter Warnings
While concerns about terrorism still haunt investors, the greater influence on trading is the fact that the market is in the throes of one of its most anxiety-producing periods - warning season.
Velocity-X: 200 Gigaflop Mac Cluster
Are Macs Really Cheaper To Own?
Garnter has backed away from its blanket statement that Apple's Mac computers are cheaper to own and maintain than PCs — but many still believe that to be the case.
Will Apple Release iPod Software For Windows?
A research note from Needham analyst Charles Wolf today indicates that Apple may be close to releasing Windows syncing software for its popular iPod MP3 player.
eMaac Debut In Hong Kong Unimpressive
Apple Promotions Expiring Next Week
Several of the promotions that Apple has launched over the past couple of months are due to expire next week.
Apple And Bioinformatics
Where does Apple fit into this and why are they interested in bioscience?
iPod-Windows Link Getting Stronger
Software maker MediaFour plans to release on Monday its XPlay program, the company's first Windows application for connecting PCs with Apple Computer's iPod digital music player.
Opinion
MacHack, Day 1
Lots of people have their kids with them.
Apple Stock: Is Now The Time To Buy Or Sell?
Rather than becoming alarmed at the stock plunge, we should perhaps view tech stocks as settling at something like their real value.
Unicode: Sick Of This Push And Pull
The problem is well-known to proficient Mac users, but sufffers from an utter lack of attention on the part of those people who are in a position to solve it in a satisfactory manner.
Review
ColdFusion MX On Mac OS X
The evolution of ColdFusion MX, one of the hottest new Web development products, and how to get ColdFusion MX running on Mac OS X.
Music Gets Bigger And Smaller
As the storage capacity of hard drives increases and their phyiscal size continues to shrink, the portable music players that use them can only get better.
Moore's Guide To The Best Free And Cheap Mac Productivity Software 2002
Quartz Internet Explorer For Mac OS X
It's just about fantastic.
Sidetrack
Damien Barrett found this: Computers are like air conditioners, they don't work when you open windows.
Wintel
Microsoft .Net Software's Hidden Cost
Companies plannning on moving their old programs to Microsoft's new .Net software plan had better prepare for sticker shock: Making the conversion could cost roughly half of the original development cost, Gartner says.
Friday, June 21, 2002
Top Stories
USB, FireWire Head To Battle
Regardless of which technology becomes more widely used, the bottom line is that consumers and peripherals makers stand to reap the rewards.
News
Taiwan Enjoys Rapidly Growing Orders From Apple Computer
Taiwan has become Apple's global production source.
Teachers Wanna Hold A Handheld
Schools are inching closer to putting a computer in the hands of every student, and a number of educators believe that handheld computers are the best and quickest way to make it happen.
Complete Mac Gets New Owner, Name
Surfing As Free As A Cloud
It is a new kind of network: fast, wireless internet access broadcast from rooftops and church steeples, available to all for free.
Opinion
'Real People' Overlooks Key Audience
Apple is overlooking one of the most important markets. Kids and teenagers.
MacHack (PG-13): Bring On The Yoots
Apple should seriously look at having another level of developer membership.
Review
Players Give Music Buffs A Way To Tote Big Collections
Apple's iPod is still the best at this, thanks to an intuitive control panel and excellent Mac-based iTunes software.
Thursday, June 20, 2002
Top Stories
A Shop Where Fun Meets Function
Tekserve, a giant Macintosh repair center in Manhattan, expanded from 1,000 square feet to 20,000, in a succession of four locations on West 23rd Street in Chelsea.
Would Someone Take A Bite Out Of Apple?
It may not be a takeover target but there's plenty of value there.
News
The I Of The Beholder
Form follows function for the designers of those stunning iMac computers.
New Nielsen/NetRatings Multimedia Numbers Show No Nump For QuickTime
Laurie Anderson's Suite Music
For Laurie Anderson's long-awaited album, "Life on a String," director Steven Lippman cut a festival-worthy short film in Final Cut Pro.
Apple Rotten After Miserable Day
Stock loses 15 percent in response to warning.
Technology Stocks Stumble
Warnings from Apple, other firms lead to broad sell-off.
Macworld New York Loses Major Developer
Macromedia, a critical developer for the Mac platform and a company that has ardently supported Mac OS X, has opted out of exhibiting at this summer's Macworld.
Opinion
Why Real People Use Macs For Real Work
People who are sick of swearing and thumping their desks. They've discovered there is an alternative, and it's a better one.
Apple Beckons Windows Users, But Doesn't Make Sense For All
The bottom line: The Macintosh is a fine computer, and it's safe to switch to it if you like. But make sure it's right for you.
Review
OS X Native Palm Software Arrives With Some Shortcomings
Palm Desktop 4.0 is OS X native, but Palm left most of the program's features untouched.
Variations On An Office With Windows
Office v. X is pretty and — thanks to the update — solid.
Security, Earthlink, And Apple
I really like Earthlink and with one exception have had very good experiences with their technical support people.
Sidetrack
Cameron Barrett: IBM's web site has a great Ease of Use poster called "Simplifying Tasks".... Now try ordering it.
Doc Searls: There are no First, Second or Third Worlds. There is only Football.
Yes, I'm a PC guy that switched to Mac.
Wintel
Microsoft Leaves No Doubt
Yes, it's late, but there are still a few ways to restrain the corporate thugs who control — and thwart outside innovation on — the most important communications platform since the telephone.
Wednesday, June 19, 2002
Top Stories
Statistics Firms Revisit QuickTime Counts
Apple Computer is close to vindication in a long-running dispute with Web researchers over the popularity of its QuickTime multimedia technology—a victory that could help speed adoption of new digital video and audio standards.
News
Apple Bounces Back
Don't look now, but Apple is becoming the most interesting computer company in America.
Computer Industry Hit By Bad News
After countless periods of soft results, earnings warnings and write-offs for bad investments, three computer industry giants on Tuesday dumped more bad news on a market that had been trying hard to believe things were finally looking up.
New iBook Vies For Portable Crown
Even when bus-powering an external FireWire hard drive and burning CDs, the iBook can maintain more battery life than Windows laptops powered by Intel's mobile Pentium 4.
Opinion
E-Mac, I-Mac, No Mac
Why can't Apple take its genius to the next level and bring out a completely new machine that is not a Macintosh?
Converting The PC Sinners
Apple knows its best hope for growth is to win over Windows users, and its new ad campaign is aimed right at 'em.
Review
First Look: Apple eMac
The eMac has an excellent price for a G4 Mac, and it has a feature set that can please even the most demanding of users. We would like to have seen a DVD drive, but its absence doesn't tarnish our opinion.
Installing Tomcat On Mac OS X
If you're developing Web applications, or Web services, chances are you'll soon consider using a Tomcat4.x server. Fortunately, this process is fairly painless if Mac OS X is your platform of choice.
Tuesday, June 18, 2002
News
Mac Evangelist Rodney O. Lain Dies
He was the Angry Mac Man, an online technology pundit who wrote about Macintosh topics with more candor than some could stand.
Opinion
Monday Night At The Single's Club? Apple's Real People
Apple couldn't have picked a starker collection of life's losers with which to promote the Macintosh.
Apple's Marketing Mojo: Readers Respond
There seem to be plenty of cross-platform-savvy computer users who share my belief that the next 12 months could see Apple claim significantly larger sliver of the PC pie.
Web Browsing With Smooth Text
OmniWeb's consistently looks much better, while there are a few places where both IE and Chimera's fonts (especially bold ones) aren't quite as pleasing. But it shows that there's still a bit of innovation happening in web browsers-and that innovation is happening on Mac OS X.
Sidetrack
Jason Kottke: Possible reason why I almost got into car accidents: Learning new keyboard habits for Mac OS X is so mentally taxing that I forgot how to drive a car.
Wintel
Xbox Hacks Becoming Child's Play
The hacks just keep on coming for Microsoft's Xbox.
Monday, June 17, 2002
News
Microsoft Updates IE For Mac
The update comes as browser competition begins to heat up on the Mac.
Academic Outwits Burglar With Magazine Ad
A New Zealander who had his computer stolen found the thief by placing an advert in a computer magazine.
Opinion
Some Thoughts On The New PowerBook Posmo G4 Processor Upgrades
Being A Paper Hog Keeps Him So Happy
Remember the paperless society?
Review
MP3 Devices, Prices All Over The Place
The iPod's tiny hard drives come from Toshiba, an the competition didn't emulate size because "we have patents pending" on the internal design.
QuickTime 6 — Not So Fast
QuickTime 6 is worth considering for publishiners who stream video to a range of devices, including wireless ones and set top boxes, where the access and simplicity of supporting one format may outweigh MPEG-4's royalty fees and inferior video quality.
Zend Studio
2.0 development tools for PHP grow up.
Sidetrack
Apple In The Orchard
If you read all the way to the end of this article, you'd find that there will be a new Apple Computer concept store right at the heart of Singapore's shopping district.
What I hope to see is a more browsable shop design, which current Apple retailers lack. I wonder if this new Apple retail shop (which, I heard, is not by Apple Computer, Inc.) will be large enough to copy the Apple Retail Store's layout.
Colors On My Screen
Darn, today I just discovered that the combination of Windows XP and IBM ThinkPad would not allow me to switch to 256-grayscale colors on the laptop. Not even 256 colors — that would require a trip down to Compatability Wizard.
Isn't it just yesterday we used to turn off color to speed up graphics performance?
Wintel
The Dell Curve
Michael Dell built a radical and profitable direct sales machine. So why hasn't the world jumped on his business model?
Intel Builds Servers, Block By Block
Intel is releasing several "building blocks" to make it easier for business partners to build servers using Intel processors, the company will announce Monday.
Pet Peeves About Each .NET Language
Each language has things that annoy me so much about them that they keep me from fully committing to them.
Sunday, June 16, 2002
Review
Mozilla, An Old Browser New Again
Why should anyone care that a bunch of programmers, after starting work in 1998, finally shipped an open-source version of a Web browser that most people abandoned years ago? Two reasons should suffice.
Saturday, June 15, 2002
Top Stories
Switching To The Mac
I still think Apple has that dictatorial power over their system, but I'm willing to embrace that. I just want my computer to work for the things I want to do with it, and if I have to pay a little more for it or not have access to all the latest software, so be it.
News
Record Firms Sued Over Anti-Piracy CDs
The five major record companies have been hit with a class-action lawsuit charging that a new breed of CDs designed to thwart Napster-style piracy is defective and should either be barred from sale or carry warning labels.
Opinion
McAfee Manufatures Virus Threat
The sleaze has gotten out of hand; it's time to roast a group of 20 or so companies whose profits are directly linked to creating fear in their customers, who have to keep discovering new sources of fear to improve their bottom line - or in the basence of new discoveries, keep inventing new sources of fear.
Mac Switch-Back, In-Progress
Frankly, there are so many things that I want to do with my new iBook that i can't decide where to begin.
Review
IBM's G3 750FX CPU Software Overclocking?
The IBM 750FX CPU used in the new 2002 iBooks have a bus/cpu multiplier that can be set via software.
FireWire Hard Drives
If you're working with large files or digital video you always need more storage. These 120GB and 100GB drives should give you enough free space for at least a few months. We found all of them easy to set up and use.
LiveMotion 2.0
LiveMotion 2.0 is a strong product that at last provides a viable alternative to Flash an authoring tool. With a vastly improved feature set, this version will appeal to many users who approach building interactive Web content with trepidation.
Flash MX
For Flash developers looking to build sophisticated ActionScript-based Web sites, applications, or games, this is an essential upgrade.
Sidetrack
Roger Ebert: The Internet was invented so that you can find someone else's review of "Scooby-Doo."
Friday, June 14, 2002
Top Stories
Poll: Apple Luring Windows Users
A new survey found that Apple Macintosh computers are drawing increased interest from Microsoft Windows-based PC users, some of whom have switched or plan to switch platforms.
A Switch In Time
Apple's new ads are targeting the PC SoHo market, but corporate business could be harder to come by.
News
Adobe Builds On Last Quarter
Adobe expects Photoshop to exert more influence on sales of other [Adobe] products written for Mac OS X as custmers become more familiar with the new version.
Poor Capital Management Costs Industry Billions
Dell and Apple are exceptions, both achieving negative cash cycles thanks in part to outsourcing manufacturing and focusing on direct, build-to-order sales.
Does Apple Want To Break Into Movies?
Apple Computer has quietly purchased technologies from digital effects company Silicon Grail, extending its recent push into the high-end motion picture production market.
Opinion
Apple To Market Xserve To Home Users In The Near Future?
It just seems evident that this will be the next step in the digital hub strategy.
Mac OS X In Enterprise And Education - Who Is Dr. Tim Hillman??
Review
Two Software Updates Worthy But Have Issues
Both Apple and Microsoft promise improvements that sould almost too good to be true.
The Apple Of Your Ear
Digital-music lovers find what they're listening for in Mac OS X.
Sidetrack
I long for the day when I see a new upgrade for my computer, I do not have to mentally figure out a time where I have a few hours to spare so that should the upgrade fails and I need to reinstall the operating system and recover backed-up files, I will have that few hours to spare.
My dearest Pismo, be patient. You will get your 10.1.5. I promise.
Thursday, June 13, 2002
News
Apple's Xserve To Face Tough Sell
Apple deserves credit for developing a well-designed high-performance rack server on a stable Unix operating platform, analysts said, but they hold out little hope that the company can finally attract mainstream corporate customers.
Opinion
Who Wouldn't Love To Have An iPod?
Owing an iPod makes you want to send a "Thank you" card to Steve Jobs.
Review
Sidetrack
Hi, I'm back. Please do allow me to pick up my life (and my real job) from where I left off, and I'll start publishing this web site again. Maybe in a day or two.
I've always believe in under-promise, and over-delivering. Whether I can really do it, of course, is another issue. This time round, I didn't expect this personal matter of mine to take such a long time to solve. Sorry about that.
Actually, this personal matter (which I don't feel like sharing at this point, sorry) is still an ongoing thing which is where I'm spending my bulk of my energy on lately, this entire year. It's just that it has come to the really "exciting" part of the event this month, and probably for the next few months.
Of course, I am still spending a lot of my energy on my real work, in case my boss is reading, I promise. :-)
Tuesday, June 4, 2002
News
Now You Pay For Drivers - UMAX Pioneers New Price Gouge
PC users expecting to get XP drivers, and Macintosh users expecting to get upgrades to Mac OS X had a shock in store.
Apple Sees Promise In RP's Schools, Professionals
Apple Philippines, Inc. is bullish about expanding the Apple user market base in the country this year.
Recording Live Music For Late Night With Conan O'Brien
"TV mixing is all about getting it done fast."
ComputerTown Closes Doors 'For Foreseeable Future'
"This comes after a failed attempt to stay in business including working through with several issues with our most valuable vendor partners, including Apple Computer."
Opinion
Mission: Impossible. Submitting A Bug Report To Microsoft
I figure it's time to submit a bug report to Microsoft. Seems kinda painless and easy, right?
Wintel
New Sony PCs Focus On Digital Media
Sony served up 11 new Vaio PCs on Monday, expanding its focus on DVD recording and digital media.
Microsoft Settles Accounting Probe
Microsoft agreed to stop using an accounting practice that allegedly understated revenue and misled investors, the Securities and Exchange Commission said Monday.
Monday, June 3, 2002
News
Portable Showdown: Notebook PCs Vs. Apple's iBook/PowerBook
Although the jazzed-up iBook is finding consumer success, Apple may have to work a little harder to convince its non-multimedia business audience to buy the pricier PowerBook.
Opinion
Putting His Camcorder Where His Mouth Is
I felt I had really accomplished my goal when at the end of the video one friend asked, "Can I see it again?"
Learning From The MacSlash Fiasco
In the end, the best protection is keeping your domain registered. Don't let it expire.
Wireless: Killer App Without Being An App
Not only can being wireless free me from cable bondage, but it can free me from applicaiton bondage.
Review
Apple And IBM Unleash New Laptops
Those with bucks and a distaste for ThinkPad-like conventionality will see the Apple portable as a sweet, sweet system. We certainly do.
Tiny Camera Delivers Big Performance
In an age when technology keeps getting smaller and more portable, Kodak's newest digital camera delivers big time in both departments.
Sidetrack
Cross My Fingers
I've changed the incoming-newsfeed engine over the weekend, and is now monitoring it.
If you have noticed things being changed, for better or for worse, then I've failed. It is supposed to emulate the behavior of the old one, almost exactly.
Why change then? Well, the bigger changes are yet to come. I'm going to let this stabilise first, before performing major surgery...
Oh, and I do have a real day job. :-)
Wintel
Industry Allies Seek To Limit Microsoft Drive Into New Fields
Microsoft, in its drive to conquer new markets beyond personal computer software, has consistently run into resistance from companies and industries working to insure there is a competitive alternative to Microsoft.
Shutting Down My Windows Domain Server
The "everything on one server, with centralized authentication" approach may have been appealing to me a few years ago, but now I'm much happier with a loosely-connected set of specialized devices.
Sunday, June 2, 2002
News
Macslash.com Is Now Macslash.org
The folks at mac.com have classified all mail from Dotster as spam, therefore trashing our domain renewal notices without our knowledge.
Sonnet Lowers Prices, Intros New OS X Bundle
Interference More Likely As Wireless Devices Get Popular
For now, problems can usually be resolved by coordinating and adjusting settings. But coordination can be difficult, when competing networks aren't centrally run by the same company.
Opinion
Take To Mac With A Knife
Apple should equip all Macs with CD eject buttons.
Review
Ask The Computer Guy
Mac users can post QuickTime movies to the Web using Apple's free iTools service. That way, relatives — even Windows users — can go to homepage.mac.com and see baby's first tooth.
TIFFany3 Professional 3.5
The more experienced you are with conventional image-editing programs, the more challenging it may be to work the way TIFFany3 does. But if you need strong batch-processing capabilities, TIFFany3 Professional 3.5 is a real powerhouse.
Turn Your LPs Or Cassette Into CDs
If you have a CD burner, you can use it and your Mac to record, eliminate unwanted noise in the recording, and transfer the music to CD so you can listen to it in your car, at the office, or anywhere else you like to play CDs.
Perspective: XP Or OS X?
If you're looking for fun computing that's a breeze right out of the box, maybe that new iMac with OS X is a good choice. But if you want to do more and don't mind a little more work, XP might be better.
Saturday, June 1, 2002
Top Stories
Apple Offers Mac OS X Maintenance Program
Apple is offering a new program that will provide users of Mac OS X the opportunity to receive major releases of the company's industrial strength operating system over a three year period.
News
Fans Kick Back At Mac Hack Falk
Despite numerous requests for comment from Apple, the company has not yet provided a spokesman to comment on the issue. However, our readers have more than made up for Apple's silence with their enthusiastic and well informed comments.
Opinion
Apple Videoconferencing Device Coming Soon
I believe Apple was planning to release the videoconferencing device Jobs referred to at the company's April shareholders meeting but was forced to put it on hold because of licensing problems.
Review
Tools For Creating Web Pages Finally Leave Stone Age
Whether it's drag and drop or hunt and peck, we're living in the future, at last, in which creating Web pages is no longer like building a fire with flint and some sticks.
Apple iMac Series
For the price, Apple delivers a capable basic computer with lots of extra style points.
Adobe AfferEffects 5.5
Besides the big switch to OS X, AE 5.5 introduces the much-antiticpated Advanced 3D rendering engine.
Wintel
Microsoft Judge Will Not Consider Memo On Intel Retaliation
The federal judge hearing the Microsoft antitrust case said Friday she will not consider an internal Microsoft e-mail that advocated retaliation against "unfriendly" computer makers.