Clearly, I am not part of the intended market…
New Product from Apple
January 28th, 2010
Number 9. Number 9. Number 9.
September 9th, 2009Today is 09/09/09, the day of Apple’s big media event. They only do this when they have something new, and there’s been speculation that, among other things, they may be unveiling the addition of the Beatles library to iTunes. I passed this rumor on in a previous post.
I now have doubts about this rumor. Mainly because I’ve seen the banners Apple has installed for the event. They consist of a colorful silhouette of an iPod user and the headline: “It’s only rock and roll, but we like it.”
Due to that, I believe whatever today’s event is about, it won’t be the Beatles. Why? Because you don’t promote the Beatles by paraphrasing a line from a Stones song. That’s blasphemy, pure and simple.
If I’m wrong, I’ll update this post as soon as I remove the egg from my face.
Snow Leopard to be released into the wild, Aug. 28.
August 24th, 2009Apple has announced today that the next iteration of their massively popular, and amazingly stable operating system, 10.6, or Snow Leopard (as it is popularly known) will be released a week early, beginning this Friday, August 28.
I’ve already ordered a Family Pack that will upgrade the three computers in this household. The cost was only $49 plus shipping, a great deal for a new OS. Having just been forced to purchase a copy of Microsoft Vista Home Premium for a whopping $250 (I need it for web development), you don’t need to twist my arm to get me to drop half a Benjamin for a better system.
There are a couple new features I’m looking forward to in the new OS.
First, the 64bit capability that will allow for a faster system, but should also allow for higher RAM limits on compatible software. The bottleneck, of course, will be whether third-party software will be able to take advantage of a 64bit system. I think Photoshop might, but I’m unsure of any others at this point. It’s a good news / bad news scenario.
Second, I’m curious about Grand Central Dispatch. Says Apple:
“More cores, not faster clock speeds, drive performance increases in today’s processors. Grand Central Dispatch takes full advantage by making all of Mac OS X multicore aware and optimizing it for allocating tasks across multiple cores and processors.”
Well, here’s hoping with the massive 8-cores of processing power under the hood of my Mac Pro, I will see some speed boost with the new system. Again, though, it remains for third-party software to take advantage of this new technology (are you listening, Adobe?).
As I await the arrival of the new kitty, I will be checking out various Mac community forums for any early adopters, to hear their stories.
Beatles on iTunes? Oh, Let it be!
August 19th, 2009The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) is getting me all excited with the following headline: Will the Beatles library finally arrive in iTunes September 9th?
Apple has an event planned for September 9, 2009. Pundits are expecting the event to be the usual Apple fall event where the new line of iPods will be announced, but there’s something else happening on September 9th that could herald the long-awaited arrival of The Beatles in the iTunes Store.
So, maybe With a Little Help From their Friends, Apple and the Beatles can Come Together in order to Work It Out, so that this amazing music collection Don’t Pass Me By, and Apple will be Fixing a Hole in their library come September, and I won’t have to buy the White Album When I’m Sixty-Four or search Across the Universe for Beatles tunes, because buying them at iTunes would give me Norwegian Wood (sans male enhancement); but if it doesn’t happen, I’ll be a Mean Mr. Mustard, and that would truly be Nowhere, Man.
iPhone good. AT&T… %&*#!!!
August 17th, 2009At least that’s the thinking behind this well-done, mildly NSFW 30 second spot. Here’s my prediction: This spot will be yanked from YouTube very soon for legal reasons.
Going Apple Nuts
April 9th, 2009Alternate title: How my crazy obsession trying to pick a new Mac Pro nearly destroyed my life.
In June of 2004, I purchased a new Mac desktop computer. It was, and still is, an impressive example of thoughtful integration of engineering and design. It is a marvel; massive, powerful, and lovely (both inside and out).
It’s been nearly five years now, and my Dual G5 PowerMac is still going strong, doing what it was designed and engineered to do. It’s a solid workhorse for the design and production of much of my daily workload. Prior to this computer, I generally held on to a system for four years. Usually, in that space of time, advancements in computer technology and software would justify a new and more productive desktop. However, back in 2004, I knew this computer would last a bit longer, so I decided it would keep me happy for five years at least.
I kept that commitment, despite several intriguing new advances made in the intervening years. Though my current system seemed to handle most tasks fairly well, the writing was on the wall for the sunset of G5 technology, as Apple indicated the next system upgrade would only support the newer Intel processors, not the older G5‘s. Sure, I could keep this system longer, and it would probably be fine for a year or two more, but the lure of the new was too much for me to resist.
Finally in early March 2009, Apple introduced a long-awaited (14-months or so) update to their desktop line of Mac Pros. I was feeling the need for speed. It was time for me to upgrade.
Read the rest of this entry »
“Mapple Cube, take me away!”
December 2nd, 2008Apple Computers received the Groening Treatment when a recent episode of The Simpsons…
…featured not one, not two, but around six minutes of gags aimed at our favorite computer company. The Springfield mall gets a “Mapple” store full of myPods, myPhones, and, of course the myCube: “fueled by dreams, powered by imagination.” There are a gaggle of Apple jokes for the savvy and even a special appearance by Mapple CEO, Steve Mobs.
The link includes a Hulu clip of the episode. It’s only six minutes or so, so watch it, and enjoy.
Tasty fresh Apples
October 16th, 2008Apple has come out with upgrades to its MacBook and MacBook Pro line of laptops. They appear to be, as usual, not only incredibly fast and powerful, but extremely elegant in design as well. If you’ve got a few minutes, you can view a Quicktime video that gives an idea of the manufacturing process for the new laptops. Warning: the video is fairly high-res and takes a while to load, but if you are in any way a Macophile, it is well worth the time.
