Watch out Apple, here comes Microsoft. CNN is reporting that Microsoft is preparing an "iPod Killer" to be released later this year. These units will be larger and heavier than the iPod, but will have a larger, color screen and play videos and display photos, in addition to playing back MP3 and WMA files. From…

E-Commerce Times has published an interesting interview with Apple VP Ron Okamoto by Robyn Weisman (note that Ms. Weisman also does freelance writing for TMO). Mr. Okamoto is in charge of developer relations at Apple, and the interview focuses on Apple’s World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC). According to Mr. Okamoto, Apple is seeing more cross-platform…

For years, CPU maker Intel used a marketing campaign that emphasized the raw clock speed of its processors. It worked; millions of PC buyers bought new boxes in a quest for what they perceived as more power. During that same time Apple, using Motorola processors, battled Intel’s marketing ploy by attempting to inform the public…

Exhibition company IDG World Expo released for the first time Friday more accurate, audited attendance figures for last January’s San Francisco-based Macworld Conference & Expo showing a turnout of 32,409. The audited numbers also reflected that the majority of attendees were from California and were primarily graphic designers and company executives. Auditors numbers compiled by…

A little more than a year ago, I wrote a column explaining why it would not make economic sense for Apple to port OS X to x86. This column took the form of an imaginary conversation with a PC Drone that was loosely based on the many arguments I have personally encountered on this subject.…

When running a race, one strategy is to get out front early and maintain your lead. If you are strong enough to stay ahead of the pack, you don’t have to worry about finding elbow room, or saving that little bit of reserve energy for the final sprint near the end; you just cruise and…

Feeling cramped? Is the world pressing in on you? Does it seem that your personal space, that imagined aura that separates you from the next guy, is shrinking? Maybe you should get an iPod. According to a BBC News report, Dr. Michael Bull, a lecturer in Culture and Media Studies at the University of Sussex,…

Apple is to Steve Jobs as Microsoft is to Bill Gates as Oracle is to Larry Ellison as Dell is to, well, Dell. All of those companies run with the blood of their founders, and are reflections of their boss. While Apple tried to get rid of Steve Jobs, and paid a big price for…

I was sitting in a bar with a buddy on a Friday night. My friend, Trevor, is a guy that has always used PCs at work, and so it made sense for him to buy PCs at home. Now, believe it or not, when I am just hanging out, I am not constantly evangelizing Macs.…

Colourfull Creations has released an update for Maxi Bidder, bringing it to version 1.84. Maxi Bidder is a utility designed for automated eBay bidding. The update features a message bug fix and other enhancements. According to Colourfull Creations: Colourfull Creations releases Maxi Bidder update for Macintosh OS X and Macintosh OS 9. Colourfull Creations updates…

The iPod portable music player could effectively be a US$1 billion business for Apple Computer by the end of this year and US$1.6 billion by September of 2006, according to the predictions of Merrill Lynch analyst Steven Milunovich. He further predicted the iPod is not a "one-hit wonder," and that Apple will see some Windows…