Z DNetis John Spooner has asked if Appleis new Mac mini could lead to a wave of similarly tiny computers in the Wintel world. Mr. Spooner addressed the question from the standpoint of such issues as people looking for smaller units as second or third computers in the household, and products that came along before…
Apple Hot Deals Update For Publishing Perfection, MacZone
A pple has updated the Hot Deals page for Publishing Perfection and MacZone at the Macintosh Product Guide. The Mac Product Guide is a list of Mac compatible hardware and software products on the market. The Hot Deals section of the Product Guide features several Mac retailers and special offers that one can only get,…
Writer, Analyst: Microsoft's Janus Will Level Online Music Battlefield
I n more coverage Tuesday on Apple, Technology Review published an article by Eric Hellweg that said that the battlefield for online music downloads is about to change considerably. That change is Microsoftis Janus technology that allows users to take subscription (rented) music on their digital media devices, something heretofore impossible. Mr. Hellweg believes that…
Washington Post Calls iPod Shuffle "Surprising New Mini-Player"
A ppleis triumphant tour through the mainstream press continues today with a review of the iPod shuffle by Rob Pegoraro. Mr. Pegoraro called the US$99 flash-based iPod "a surprising new mini-player in the music game." Mr. Pegoraro said that the price of the unit fills in the price gap in Appleis portable digital media player…
Detroit Free Press: iWork Needs Some Work
M ike Wendland, a columnist for the Detroit Free Press who often writes positive pieces about Apple and the Mac platform, said Tuesday he thinks Appleis new software package, iWork, needs some work. Mr. Wendland wrote that Pages isnit a full-featured word processing program, and that Keynote "seems a bit klutzy" compared to Microsoftis PowerPoint."…
Chicago Sun Times: iPod Shuffle Works, Period
I n his regular column for the Chicago Sun-Times, TMO columnist Andy Ihnatko said that the thing that makes the iPod shuffle so good is that it simply works. Mr. Ihnatko added his own voice to the mainstream chorus of reviewers who have gushed over Appleis newest iPod family member. Mr. Ihnatko went over the…
Analyst: Without iPod, Apple Would Be Irrelevant
I n an interview with the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster told reporter Steve Alexander, "Without the iPod, Apple would be irrelevant," and that the "iPod has given Apple a second life." Mr. Munster is the most bullish analyst covering Apple, and the comments come in a report about how the iPod…
Apple's iTunes Hits 250M Download Mark (UPDATE)
Apple Computer and its iTunes Music Store (iTMS) has sold more than 250 million songs since first going online in April 2003, the company announced Monday. Apple said it is selling more than 1.25 million songs per day, or an annual run rate of about 500 million songs per year. At its current selling rate,…
Robert X. Cringely Speculates on Apple Movie Download Business
P BSis Robert X. Cringely has penned a bit of speculation on the idea that Apple is planning on getting into the video download business. Following a similar track as our own Devilis Advocate, Mr. Cringely puts the pieces together based on Steve Jobsi keynote from Macworld Expo, but also looks at a technology in…
PC World Recommends Mac mini as Starter System
P C World is recommending Appleis new Mac mini as starter system for new computer users. In a first look at the newest Mac, Rebecca Freed put the Mac mini through consumer-oriented tasks, focusing on how the Mac mini performed. Ms. Freed tested the unit by opening up a half dozen programs at one time,…
iPontificate: Hello, New iMac Over Here!
I just made my New Year’s Resolution and so far I am doing great. I recently got a new 20 inch iMac G5 and I resolved to not rub it in other peoples’ faces. That’s right, I got a new iMac, son! What do you have, a Commodore 64, or maybe a Timex Sinclair with…
Think Secret Gets Pro Bono Legal Help in Apple Lawsuit
. The 19-year-old web publisher and Harvard University student will be defended by Terry Gross, of the San Francisco-based firm Gross & Belsky. Mr. Gross said in an interview that Ciarelli and his Web site used proper newsgathering techniques. “Think Secretis reporting is protected by the First Amendment,” Mr. Gross said. “The Supreme Court has…
iPod Controller Maker Reports Record Profits
< A href="https://www.synaptics.com/">Synaptics, the maker of the click wheel selector on Appleis iPods, announced Thursday record profits for its second fiscal quarter ended December 31st, 2004. The company reported profits of US$9.7 million on revenue of V.5 million. The company cited "robust growth" in demand for portable media players as a driving force for its…
Merrill Lynch: Strong Demand for iPod shuffle, Could Outstrip Supply
< A href="https://www.ml.com">Merrill Lynch analyst Steven Milunovich believes there will be strong demand for Appleis new iPod shuffle, and that just like the iPod mini, demand will outstrip supply, a chronic issue for Apple. In a research note for clients obtained by The Mac Observer, Mr. Milunovich said that new-to-iPod users are attracted to both…
Analyst: Mac mini + Apple Stores = "Match Made in Heaven"
< A href="https://www.needhamco.com/">Needham & Co. analyst Charlie Wolf issued a research note to his clients Wednesday that called the Mac mini and Appleis retail stores a "match made in heaven." Noting that the lack of a low-cost entry-level Mac was a "major barrier to iPod-toting Windows users whoive contemplated switching to a Mac," he said…
iTunes 4.7.1 Corrects Security Issue
N ot mentioned on The Mac Observer last week — or in Appleis accompanying iTunes 4.7.1 Read Me — was that the minor update to Appleis jukebox software, designed primarily to add support for the iPod shuffle, corrected a security issue that allowed malicious playlists to crash iTunes and execute arbitrary code. Details on the…
Apple Hot Deals Update For Publishing Perfection
A pple has updated the Hot Deals page for Publishing Perfection at the Macintosh Product Guide. The Mac Product Guide is a list of Mac compatible hardware and software products on the market. The Hot Deals section of the Product Guide features several Mac retailers and special offers that one can only get, at least…
New York Times Probes Idea of "Mac TV"
T he New York Times has published an article by long-time Apple reporter John Markoff that asks if Apple is considering a "Mac TV," a device Apple would position as a set top media management box. Centered around a wrap up of Appleis announcement last week at Macworld Expo, Mr. Markoff speculates on Appleis possible…
BBC Offers Shootout Between Mac mini & Four PCs
T he BBC has published a shootout between Appleis new Mac mini and similarly priced Windows PCs from competitors. The piece, published for a UK audience, focuses on British pricing and products, and includes PCs from Dell, Jal Constance (a UK manufacturer), and a generic, home-built PC. The article, written by Darren Waters and Mark…
Just a Thought - Conversations With Steve
On a lonely country road west of Monta Vista, a black BMW 530i pulls up next to a blue ’04 Mini Cooper S that is sitting along the side of the road. The Mini Cooper chugs quietly in an effort to keep its occupant warm on that particular, and unseasonably cool Southern-California night. The BMW…
Merrill Lynch Bumps Target for Apple; Mac Could See Share Growth
In a research note to clients obtained by The Mac Observer, Merrill Lynch analyst Steven Milunovich said that Apple could see a "significant share gain" for the Macintosh after Apple reported a 26% growth in Mac unit sales for the December quarter on Wednesday. Based on Apple’s earnings report, the iPod Halo Effect, and possible…
More New Products from Griffin Technology
G riffin Technology continues to roll out new products at Macworld Expo, announcing three more Thursday and Friday. First up, RocketFM is a USB bus-powered FM transmitter that allows a Mac to transmit its audio over any available FM frequency through a home, car, or office stereo system. The device is especially handy for travelers…
Diamonds in the Rough: Three Cool Products from the Show Floor
ART VPS Accelerator ? We noticed our first gem as we walked by the ART VPS booth and noted a demo which was showing a nice looking sports car at various angles. As first we thought this was some sort of presentation software, but we learned that the car was in fact totally computer generated,…
First on TMO - Apple VP: PowerBook G5 "the Mother of All Thermal Challenges"
When Rob Steerum of Fulcrum Global Partners asked Tim Cook, Apple’s VP of Worldwide Sales and Operations, about the chances of a G5-based PowerBook anytime soon, Mr. Cook admitted Wednesday such a project “would be the mother of all thermal challenges.” When asked if he meant there will never be a G5-powered PowerBook, Mr. Cook…
