kenjisan

For shame, Apple...

I finally got over to an Apple Store to check out the new MacBooks. First of all, yes, I am an Apple fanboy, blah, blah, worship Jobs, etc. While I wish they were a little smaller (see the discontinued 12-inch Powerbook), they still seemed very nice. I like the lack of an external clasp to hold the lid shut, as well as the slightly slimmer form factor.

What I didn't like very much was the black Macbook, and I'm not saying this because of the bloated price. They're matte black, not glossy like the white (or the iPods, for that matter). The store models were covered in finger prints, and I've heard that the track pad (black like the rest) gets easily marked up. Cyndi made the analogy to those stainless steel appliances: look pretty, not practical.

But what's worse is the marked up price. You can order a white model with the exact same specs (including the 80 GB hard drive) for $150 less than the black model. Is a different color plastic worth $150?

It comes in black...

But be prepared to pay a $200 premium for it. Still, it's about time they updated the iBooks, which haven't seen a revision for nearly a year, I believe. As expected the new MacBooks (minus the pro) have come bundled with the same dual-core chipset that the MacBook Pros have, only at slower speeds and the infamous Integrated Intel GMA graphics card. But I guess this was never meant to be a graphic processing powerhouse, but more of a nice student computer.

Needless to say, I want one. But then, whenever Apple comes out with this stuff, I want it. I'm a sucker. We all know that.

1.83 Ghz Core Duo White, $1,099
-Ships 1-5 Business Days
-60 GB 5400-rpm Serial ATA hard drive
-Combo Drive

2.0 Ghz Core Duo White, $1,299
-Ships 1-5 Business Days
-60 GB 5400-rpm Serial ATA hard drive
-SuperDrive

2.0 Ghz Core Duo Black, $1,499
-Ships 3-7 Business Days
-80 GB 5400-rpm Serial ATA hard drive
-SuperDrive

All Models:
-13 widescreen, 1280x800 display
-Front Row and Apple Remote
-Integrated iSight
-MagSafe
-Integrated Intel GMA 950 graphics with 64 MB shared graphics memory
-mini-DVI with extended display support
-512MB 667 Mhz DDR2 SDRAM (PC2-5300)
-1 Firewire 400, 2 USB 2.0 ports
-Gigabit Ethernet
-Airport Extreme + Bluetooth 2.0 (EDR) Standard

Toys

It's been a month since Cyndi and I took the Big Step, and what better way to celebrate our newly-wedded-ness than by succumbing to Apple's secret Master Plan?

My laptop has a busted CD drive (more my fault than Apple's since, well, I kind of dropped it). Taking it in to the Apple Store to get it checked out by some geniuses, I got a chance to play around with the nice new toys there (and had plenty of time, since the geniuses weren't available for another four hours). Now don't get me wrong, I love my little 12" Powerbook, but it's a laptop and seriously, a family (even one of two) should have a central hub, right? Something that's permanent, a symbol of our union?

So I've really been thinking seriously on a new computer. Nothing pricey like a Powermac. More like an iMac. Maybe even the 17"...

...okay, so I'll confess, I bought the 20"--I'm actually using it to post this. Go me! I'll give you my impressions after a "few" hours of playing World of Warcraft with its many nice new features.

New iTunes Phone Announced

It's probably old news, but Motorola announced the RAZR V3i yesterday. Like the ROKR, it is capable of acting like a limited iPod, only it's a much cooler phone.

SUMMARY OF FEATURES:

• Updated and streamlined Motorola RAZR V3 design
• 1.23 megapixel digital camera with 8x digital zoom, video capture and full screen viewfinder
• iTunes™ music software or Motorola’s Digital Audio Music Player** with mini-USB stereo headset
• Airplane mode
• Hot swappable TransFlash™ memory card
• 262K color wallpapers & screensavers on internal display
• 65K color support on external display
• Speaker independent name & digit dialing
• Dedicated browser and messaging keys***
• Integrated Class 1 Bluetooth technology with imaging, printing, peer to peer gaming profiles
• Motorola’s SCREEN3 technology* solution featuring zero-click access to news, sports, entertainment and other program content*
• Rich, pre-loaded or downloaded J2ME™ games, screen savers and MP3 ringtones

No announcement has been made to the cellular network, but my guess is it'll remain a Cingular only option. I also think that as the months go by, more and more of the phones will come with some type of music playback option, now that the technology is out there, and like the camera phone, it'll become more standard than outstanding.

Aw, shucks, Apple, you shouldn't have...

I know it's my birthday, but don't you think that releasing the rumored iPod phone, iTunes 5.0, and a new freakin' iPod is a bit much?

I have to admit it, as stupid as the thing is, I find myself excited about that phone. What the hell is wrong with me? Do I need my phone to play music? Absolutely not. Then I start to think: maybe this one can withstand being run over in the hockey rink parking lot.

Hopefully they'll improve it by the time my contract with Verizon is up, next summer.

Times, they are a-changin'

God Lord, is this the only theme I'm allowed to write about anymore? Life's transitions, tech's transitions, this blog's transitions. The question is, how do I really feel about these changes? The liberal side of me wants to rejoice. The shadow conservative corners cringe and mutter.

Okay, so the rumors are true, Apple's switching to Intel. I have to admit that I was very apprehensive about this move when I first read about it. As a life-long Apple user, hating Intel has become something like a knee jerk reaction. The switch feels like a sell-out. Worse still, it feels like a short-term solution. Apple needs to get out the 3 gig Powermac. It's not happening with IBM, so they decide to make a complete switch to Intel. Problem solved, only now there's a new problem: dealing with such a major switch.

Okay, that was my mentality going to bed last night. This morning—after a short night's rest—I read Ken's thoughts at kwc.org/blog (Apple/Intel). Here's where the themes of transition and change come in. Apple is evolving here (or devolving, depending on how you look at it). With similar architecture, the question no longer becomes Apple versus PC but OSX versus Windows. Right? Correct me if I'm wrong, but Marklar (the Intel version of OSX) can be run on a PC, right?

If this is the case, then like Sega before them, Apple would be shifting more toward software development, as opposed to computer hardware (those white earbuds will be around for a while). I'm still not quite sure how I feel about it all, but the next year or two will certainly be interesting.

Oh, and I don't think I'll be buying that desktop I was planning on. I'll wait for the dust to settle first.

iTunes phone update

Follow up to: iTunes phone delayed

Looks like Motorola is actually going to roll out iTunes software for their mobile phone sometime in July (rumored on Gizmodo). Here are some possible screens:

This is a bit of a wonder due to the amount of resistence Motorola is getting from the big name carriers (Verizon, Cingular). Many of you have heard me gripe about it, but the control and pressure from carrier companies is just stifling to the US cellular phone market. Our phones lack features compared to their European and Asian counterparts not because of the phone manufacturers, but because the carriers strip them out. Verizon, for example, doesn't want their phones to act as little iPods because the music would be downloaded from the user's computers, not from Verizon. Verizon sees no profit here. In this model, the consumers lose.

Additional reading:
Motorola postpones iTunes phone release (MENAFN)
iPod Killers? (BusinessWeek)

Adobe buys Macromedia!

This one certainly caught me a little off-guard. Viewing this from a purely print desktop publishing perspective, I suppose a little bit more integration is good, especially across the Flash-Photoshop spectrum. Fireworks and Freehand, so long guys, I hardly knew ya. My real question surrounds Dreamweaver and what Adobe is planning on doing with this very popular page builder. Are they planning on discontinuing the line in favor of GoLive? I've used both of these programs (granted an older version of GoLive) and I'm not sure how easy this one sits with me.

Again, since my specialty is in print design, the immediate impact of this merger won't be as noticeable as it will for you web developers. Still seems pretty profound.

(More information: press release.)

iTunes phone delayed

Motorola postpones iTunes phone release - MENAFN.com

According to the article, Motorola's phone is ready to go, but the phone carrier(s) aren't ready for them. We may see them in the summer. No carriers were named in the article, although Vodaphone was speculated for the European release. Reportedly, these phones are able to hold about as many songs as the iPod shuffle while being, well, a phone. Memory upgrades would also be available.

While I don't quite see the point of this particular hybrid product (I don't really want to jog with my phone, and on my commute I'd rather have my iPod with its robust library of music--not to mention the battery-life sharing issues of having your phone and your music player in one unit), I find myself wanting one. I think that's more the gadget-buying impulse in me than anything else, and like all those urges, they can be fought off (still don't have a camera phone).

It's no secret that I'm not a huge fan of hybrid technology (the bards of the tech world), but there is the off-chance that placing a music player such as iTunes into a phone could further revolutionize the music distribution industry (I know mp3 phones are nothing new, but no carrier has truly taken advantage of the technology, hence its hybrid-mediocrity). Wouldn't it be a neat option to be able to access the iTunes Music Store from your phone, download songs onto it, then be able to transfer the songs onto your computer? Hear a song you like? As long as you have your phone on you, that song could be yours instantly. Consumerism at its best, right?

iPod shuffle

About the size of a pack of gum... Comes in a 512 MB model ($100) and a 1 GB model ($150)... Flash memory based... Built-in USB connector (usually covered like a lipstick case and functions much like the portable USB flash memory sticks)... 12 hour battery life...

Did I forget anything?

Oh yeah, it has no screen.

Okay, so I don't get this. I've read a few articles about Apple's latest portable music device, the iPod shuffle. Maybe I'm missing something. Why do people think this is a good idea? Why do people think this is a good product? About the only selling point it has going for it is the functionality it has with iTunes. Granted, this is a huge selling point, but seriously folks, $100 for something without a screen? That could potentially hold over 100 songs? No thank you.

Then again, I didn't think the iPod mini would sell either. Particularly at the price point of $249. I'm all for Apple products. We all know that. I just can't help thinking that the iPod shuffle is, well... stupid.

Applesoft?

Last August, RealNetworks opened a music store that sold digital music that could be played on the iPod. They did this by reverse-engineering Apple's digital music format (AAC) and bypassing any persmissions or licenses a company would normally have to secure from Apple (Apple's never given such permissions to any online music stores). It should be noted that Real asked for permission/license and was refused by Apple. They went ahead and did it anyway.

Apple has answered ("Apple fights RealNetworks' 'hacker tactics'" via CNET News.com). Apple simply made a few changes to the iPod's firmware (available in its latest update), making RealNetwork's Harmony digital music incompatible. The revolution died only a few months after it started.

As a life-long Apple user, I'm torn. On the one hand, I'd like to support Apple, its products, and its choices. Still, I can't help but remember the painful early 90s when the company was on the verge of collapse, due in large part to the choices it made.

Yet I'm getting this nagging feeling about this whole issue. Here we have the market leader doing everything that it can to destroy competition and keep its music strictly proprietary. Sound like anyone familiar? Want an iPod? Want to buy music on the internet? It's Apple's Music Store or nothing. This is not a good situation for the consumer. As davextreme talks about in The Music War and File Formats, why should people have to be worried about whether their particular music player can play songs from one format or another? Most people aren't aware of these choices before they make them. Most people just want their digital music player to work, regardless of format or the store they purchased it at.

Additionally, competition breeds innovation. Monopolies rarely create a superior product. Look at Internet Explorer. Look at Microsoft Word. A competing online music store doesn't automatically mean a price-slashing war. (I know, I'm butchering the economics of the situation, but I think I'm roughly correct.) Brands depend on their branding to sell products, not their low-low prices.

I'd like to see an open format that is shared by all players, not some silly format war over a thing that means nothing to the consumer. While I don't really approve of Real's approach, I admire what they were trying to do. Maybe this can serve as a wake-up call to Apple that something needs to change. I don't like the way Apple's beginning to resemble Microsoft. It's making me uneasy.

Could IBM buy Apple?

That's what Cormac O'Reilly speculates in his opinion piece in The Register (Apple of IBM's eye?).

Personally, I'm not so sure how keen IBM is about getting back into the PC market after it had finally extracted itself from it, but you never know. As a mac user, the thought of IBM buying Apple makes me a little weary since so many things could go wrong. Still, I can't help but sit here and ponder all the strange possibilities that such a merger would entail. It's like some kind of machabre fascination has seized me; I should be watching, but I can't help it.

Gmail "beta"

Is Gmail ever going to go public? Hilariously, the New Features! link has July 14, 2004 as its last update, with October 1 announcing "New features coming soon!" That's a time difference of three months. Shouldn't beta projects be moving a little faster than this?

Maybe it's Google's plan to keep Gmail as an invite only service, in much the same way LJ is, but somehow I doubt this.

Oh well, here's me crossing my fingers and hoping that the next round of features include an improved address book with groups.

iPod Micro?

MercuryNews.com | Analyst: SigmaTel to supply chips for new Apple MP3 player

If this rumor is true (and there are conflicting stories here), then this could possibly mean the emergence of a truly low-end iPod. A lot of people out there (and I'm looking at you, macrumors forums) have an unfounded hatred towards low-end, flash-based mp3 players. Yes, you aren't getting as much as you're paying for, but I've always maintained that there are other benefits out there besides a purely storage-to-dollar ratio (e.g. exercising, size, etc.). I'm not saying I'd rather have a smaller mp3 player; I'm just saying it would be nice to have the option.

That being said, I doubt that this rumor means the imminent introduction of an iPod micro. It doesn't fit the iPod's high-end profile. And if they did decide to produce one, it would probably be about $50 too much anyway.

Cross-platform rosetta stone?

Wired News: Step Toward Universal Computing

Reading this article, I got the surreal feeling I usually associate with dreaming. You know the one: someone has just told you that not only have you inherited $77 million, but you've also been granted the ability to fly. It's cool, right, but then you wake up and it's not cool. Well, I feel I'm having one of those dreams right now.

Transitive Corp. claims they have developed a universal emulator and the ability for any program to be used on any platform. Not impressed? Not only does QuickTransit fully utilize your computer's graphics card (something SoftPC has stumbled with), but it also supports "about 80 percent computational performance on the main processor." They claim there is no noticeable loss of performance. Still not impressed? They claim the "hardware virtualizor" works seamlessly. Analyst Jim Turley reports, "It's remarkable because it's unremarkable (to see it in action): It just works."

Will this spell "the end" for Mac/PC fisticuffs? Will I really get to play RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 on my Mac? And all you PC users, Marathon could finally be yours.

I don't really know. I'm not even sure if this is a dream or not. I could be waking up here momentarily, shaking my head over all the wonderful things that could have been...

More invites!

In case you missed it, Gmail has decided to give us all one more invite, just in case there's anyone left on earth who doesn't have one of these guys. While it's still red (maroon), the location has moved to just below your labels bar (see picture).

Does anyone know when Gmail is finally going to come out of beta? And are they ever going to fix the crappy address book?

The DarWINE Project

This comes to me via Glynn, who got it via Slashddot. DarWINE being a opensource project to run Windows apps on OS X—and consequently a free alternative to VitualPC. Details can be read and deciphered on their web site (darwine.opendarwin.org//).

Hilariously, this all started because Glynn and I were trying to figure out a way to play online poker at ultimatebet.com on a Mac. See, good can come out of gambling.

Mozilla's Web Developer Extension

I'm pretty sure that everyone who cares about this extension knows about this extension. But in case you don't, Chris Pederick has developed an incredible tool for web developers, creatively named Web Developer 0.8. This extension, which can be loaded on either Firefox or Mozilla, adds a browser toolbar that will fulfill all your nerdy, developmental desires.

I've only played around with this since last night, but just a few of the handy things I've noticed include: viewing and editing CSS without having to load the CSS into an editor program; displaying class and id tags directly onto a page; outlining block level elements; and validating CSS and HTML with the click of a button.

It's enough to tempt me to switch from Safari to Firefox. At least for design.

What will we dream up next?

Chris Freed sent me this article on CNN.com. I don't really know what to say about it, except that it's really bizarre, yet really inticing.

Please save your tentacle porn jokes... you know who you are.

G-mail

After getting five more invites, a probably not-so-original thought occurred to me: G-mail invites are all part of very devious trick! The G-mail "beta" has become a marketing tool aimed at developing a large customer base where there was none, and all of this is created before public release. By labeling something "invite only" or "beta test," there's an implied exclusivity. We like exclusivity. We want to be part of something special. We'll sign up, even if we wouldn't have, otherwise, to be part of something "special." In my previous post, I mentioned the "virus-like" spread of the e-mail client. I'm now patting myself on the back for such an apt metaphor.

Only in this case, the virus isn't all that bad. In fact, I'd say for an e-mail program, it's pretty revolutionary in concept and design. If we're not actually special, then maybe this e-mail service is. Google has taken the idea of e-mail out of that proverbial box and redefined the way we think and use our electronic mail.

There's always a "but" in these things, of course, and for G-mail, that "but" resides in one of the worst Address Boxes I've ever seen. Sure, it lists all your contacts, name and e-mail. Yes, it even allows for a notes section so you can remember that X uses Y e-mail for work and Z e-mail for home. And boy, that Outlook-like effect of filling in a person's full contact information with only a few key clicks sure is cool. But man, does it do nothing else. Group e-mail? Don't even think about it. Want to add a few others to your To: field? Sorry, no help there. If you look at all the little improvements that add up to such a great product, it's hard to imagine that Google could have overlooked such a basic e-mail element, but overlook it they did.

Here's my proposal: all of you who now have a G-mail account (and as far as I can tell, this is pretty much everyone I know), click "Help" in the top right, then click "Send Feedback" in the top left, and tell them to get their Address Book act together. I've done it twice. Eventually they'll figure it out...