Apple Mac Stuff.com
Cause there is a lot of great stuff for the Mac
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Has Apple lost touch with the needs of consumers?
15/10/08 08:09
MasterCard reported last week that spending on consumer electronics and home appliances dropped 13.8 percent in September compared with a year ago. That number is by far the largest recorded since MasterCard began tracking the category in 2003, and twice the largest previous monthly drop in such spending.
“September was a dramatic pullback in terms of spending on consumer electronics,” said Kamalesh Roa, director of economic research for MasterCard SpendingPulse. In particular, “people are pulling back from buying big-ticket items.” Make no mistake about it a $999 laptop is a big ticket item to most people.
The street was expecting Apple to launch a laptop at the $899 price point but Apple has a history of launching with high prices then coming down if needed to meet sales projections. Although most Apple followers have been largely immune to the economy Apple's growth has been coming from people who are switching to Mac's from Windows. That growth will indeed slow down now.
On the iPod front even former Apple executives are saying that the iPod has had a good run and now maybe nearing its decline in the product life cycle. With so many iPods out there I could see this happening but the classic marketing of tech products says that when this happens you find new uses for the product. Although the iPod is great for music it still leaves a lot to be desired when watching movies.
So what's up with Apple and where do they go from here? Well first let's be clear about something, the economic downturn happened well after Apple's product plans were finalized. It takes a long time to bring new computers to market and along with the sales and economic models there are contracts that have to agreed upon with suppliers. Given the economic downturn Apple also has to ask itself if it wants to trade market share for profit dollars? We saw what happens when companies like Dell have done that. I am sure Apple would be glad to see its share decline while they continue to rake in the money and stay extremely profitable.
But what about the new products that drive people into Apple stores saying "I want one!". Well in this economy that is going to be hard to do with ANY new product. However knowing Apple like I think I do I can assure you that in the coming years you will see new products that will knock your socks off. There is no reason to change the iMac interface as it is a great product. You'll probably see some speed bumps but I don't see any major design changes for quite awhile. I do see some new keyboards for the iMac, either LED or with built in track pads. I also think we'll eventually see the addition of Blue Ray drives as prices come down and HD DVD's increase penetration.
On the iPod front I expect Apple to merge the iPod and Mac into some sort of personal digital assistant. There currently is a gaping hole for a decent screen sized video iPod but in order to attract people to the product it has to do more than just play movies and music. I also see some possible high-end iPods entering the market with enhanced audio qualities for audiophiles. On the laptop front I believe Apple will enter the tablet PC market but rather than follow they will lead with new features, like a touch screen, that will set standards. Of course the iPhone will continue to get better and better as well.
Anyone that bets against Apple is making a huge mistake but in order to stay on top the expectations get higher and the competition more fierce. Apple has proved people wrong before and I believe they will do it again when the time is right.
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Fusion a better choice to run Windows
08/10/08 08:16
One of the things that
I didn't like about Parallels was that when you
downloaded new versions either tools or your copy of
Windows had to be reinstalled. This was getting to be a
pain in the neck and frankly I kept putting off
downloading and installing new updates. I also noticed
that when I ran Parallels my CPU and memory would max
out slowing my Mac to a crawl. When I saw the offer to
download a free trial for 30 days I figured what the
hell. After using Fusion for a week I quickly deleted
my version of Parallels and became hooked.
The interface for Fusion is much like Parallels but
with a more friendly user experience. You can go to
full screen with a quick click of a button and go back
to screen within a screen just as quickly. Dragging and
dropping files between Windows and Mac was easy and I
didn't need to tell Fusion that I was using a wireless
connection for the Web and my keyboard and mouse.
At $79 Fusion is not inexpensive
but it is a great alternative to Parallels for those
of us who need to run Windows every once in awhile
and right now a better program as it does not hog
resources like Parallels does.
Webify
25/09/08 12:42
Webify is $20
Why Mac's are a great platform
25/09/08 12:22
In the meantime Mac's continue to pick up market share and Mac laptops are making serious inroads into the market. Why? It's simple OS X is simply a better operating system and there are so many programs that just work better on a Mac so why not? Microsoft should not concern itself with Apple, after all Microsoft still has a predominant share in operating systems, browser and Office suites. What Microsoft should be doing is try to make Windows cool again so that the line will return a-la the launch of Windows 95.
One of the primary reasons that so many people purchase Apple products is that they are "cool". That is a hell of a lot of brand equity to try and challenge as companies like Samsung and Sony have tried to figure out. The Apple experience starts with the packaging and extends all the way through their support. Try and call Microsoft support and get after getting bounced around for a little while you too will throw up your hands in frustration.
Now granted Apple has a much smaller base to deal with than Apple but with all their cash they could certainly do a lot better job of getting closer to their customers. Another issue that Microsoft has to deal with is all the hardware and software configurations that every OS must try and satisfy. While this is a hefty nut to crack maybe it's time that Microsoft designed the next OS for newer PC's to leverage newer technology. With the price of PC's so low people will be able to upgrade and that of course would make people like Dell very happy.
But back to the coolness factor, Windows has not been "cool" for a long while. As the OS software had become bigger and bigger Microsoft has chosen to be all things to all people. People are using PC's now for photos, blogging, and eMail yet there are a wealth of other features that are included in Windows that people do not want to deal with or never use. In the office people use Windows for Office which is the standard suite for most companies.
I am not sure that the people at Microsoft believe in their company anymore or that the passion of the CEO is as intense as Steve Jobs. I had recommended a long time ago that Microsoft purchase a campus in Montana and go about building an environment like Google where people can be creative and get away from the corporate bullshit. But then remember Microsoft purchased DOS, purchased the Mouse technology from xerox and stole the Windows idea from Jobs. Maybe it's getting tougher to steal ideas today... Read More...
New wireless options for iPods
25/09/08 12:00
Large or small, there are plenty of options for broadcasting that Green Day playlist or Internet radio feed around the house. So many, in fact, that it can get confusing as to what you actually need. But the good news is new, cheaper products make it easier and more affordable to live the stream dream. The systems listed here are all less than $500 and with some, you don’t even need a Wi-Fi network, just some music you want to play loudly.
Have Wi-Fi and Stereo?
Adding a device called a media bridge or media receiver to your existing Wi-Fi network is one of the oldest and most common methods of bringing your stereo system online so your computer can use it. No matter which one you buy, the same principle is at work: two small devices (one connected to your computer, one connected to an input on your stereo) work together to send music from your PC’s soundcard to your existing amplifier and speakers.
Using a wireless bridge or router has its pros and cons. On the positive side, it is a relatively inexpensive solution — $100 or less. On the negative side, it involves fiddling to get the device on a password-protected wireless network or creating a network from scratch.
For people with a significant investment in music from the iTunes Store, Apple’s AirPort Express mobile base station ($99) is a common solution. The Airport Express can join an existing wireless network or even serve as a wireless router itself. It works with Windows and Mac OS X systems and has an audio-out jack on the bottom. Once connected to your audio system (or a set of powered speakers), the AirPort Express streams the computer’s iTunes library from computer to stereo.
You do have to return to the computer to change the playlist — not the most convenient thing to do when hosting a party. But with an iPhone or iPod Touch and Apple’s free Remote program from the iTunes App Store, you can control playback from anywhere in the house with a tap of the touchscreen.
Windows users have an even lower-budget option. The Linksys WMB54G Wireless-G Music Bridge can be found for as little as $34 at Amazon. The Music Bridge, like the AirPort Express, connects to the stereo with standard AV cables. It jacks into the home network wirelessly, or with an Ethernet cable. Unlike the Airport Express, however, it will not serve as a wireless router.
Another way Linksys is not like Apple is that the company is not known for clear, concise technical documentation. Many owners have complained about the confusing set-up process. Still, if time and patience are in greater supply than money, the Music Bridge is an inexpensive way to play any audio file on the PC through the stereo system, including copy-protected files from online music stores.
No Network or Stereo?
If setting up a network or messing with it doesn’t appeal, consider a Wi-Fi-free option. A digital receiver system like Creative’s $100 Xmod Wireless works with Windows and uses its own, direct wireless connection to stream audio between the Xmod transmitter (connected to the U.S.B. port on your PC) and the X-Fi receiver (connected to an audio-input connection on your stereo system). The Xmod Wireless, which includes technology to help enhance the sound of streamed music, comes with a pair of remotes to control the operation at either end.
If you’d rather play music off your iPod instead of your PC — not only taking a Wi-Fi network out of the equation, but also a computer — Creative has another version called the Xdock Wireless ($200). That system uses an iPod instead of the computer as the music source, which is handy for people who have multiple computers but keep the definitive music collection on the iPod.
Creative’s products assume that you have a stereo to connect to. But say you don’t. Sony has also jumped into the streaming business with its S-Air Play Music System. This $400 package eliminates the need for an existing wireless network, a computer (its source is the iPod) and even an audio system. It will stream music to up to 10 self-powered stereo speakers (you still have to plug them in, but no amplifier is required).
For Wi-Fi Radio Fans
Sometimes you want someone else to drive. That’s the promise of Internet radio: something more than another rehash of the same music files you’ve had for years. It used to be that listening to Internet radio made you a slave to a desktop or laptop computer if you wanted to change channels or adjust the volume. Now, fortunately, there are devices that look and feel like stereo components, but wirelessly connect to your home network to pull these stations and music services (like Rhapsody, Pandora, etc.) into your living room.
The Squeezebox Boom from Logitech ($300) is one of the latest products to fall into this category. The Boom looks like a smallish bookshelf stereo system — it has two onboard speakers, a control panel and a display. Since the Boom is linked to your computer, you use your PC to set up and configure the device, but day-to-day operation happens via the Boom’s control panel. All your online music sources are grouped together on a Web site called the SqueezeNetwork that you need to set up a free account to use.
Once enabled, it’s easy to add new Internet radio discoveries and podcast feeds to the content mix. With the included SqueezeCenter desktop software, the Squeezebox Boom can also broadcast tracks from the computer’s music library — except for copy-protected files.
Network setup can be fairly straightforward unless you have a password in plain English. The Boom only uses hexadecimal keys — long strings of numbers and letters — for encryption, so you might need to do a quick Web search for a site that can convert your English password into hexadecimal code. It’s easy enough, though it trips up the instant-gratification momentum. But this principle is at work in all of these systems: a little effort at the beginning results in better organized, more easily searchable music. And more bookshelf space to boo Read More...
WIX: Build a website really fast
22/09/08 12:20
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Wix can be used with a variety of Web hosting sites
including BLOGGER and Wordpress and is free right now.
My guess is that eventually they will charge for a
premium service and maybe even a basic service.
Custom CSS Signatures
21/09/08 08:25
Apple Mac Desk?
21/09/08 08:18
OneLessDesk's two independent decks give you a lot of options. Don't have a desktop computer? You could put your notebook on the lower deck and connect it to a big display on the upper deck. Find uses for OneLessDesk in your loft, cube, den, anywhere. The design is quite nice and minimalist just like the Mac and the desk has a wealth of features that were designed just for the Mac. Is the desk worth $650? Well Apple Mac users have always been willing to pay big bucks for the right equipment and this desk is not only right it is stylish as well.
