The Latest 3G iPhone Rumors

Possible new details have been reported by iLounge, that if true, would have the next iPhone's aluminum casing replaced with that of a shiny black plastic one. iLounge has also reported that accessory developers are being briefed on quite a number of new upcoming iPhone changes.

Regarding the new iPhone case, iLounge is reporting that the back design will closely follow the MacBook Air's tapered design and, like the Air, will be considerably thinner than the present model.

Functional changes are coming too, so accessory developers are also being told that the front of any new case designs must make room for a new third sensor, one that could possibly drive an extra front proximity sensor or even a video camera? This is in addition to substantial changes that are coming to the present back speaker grills and microphone.

One of the more interesting tidbits, was that of a possible new mini iPhone, with a 2.8 inch touch screen? There is no evidence to verify any of iLounge's reported details, so I will file these as merely interesting rumors and possibilities and nothing more.

Meanwhile, over at AppleInside, they are reporting that ARM may be about to muscle in some new type of advanced gaming graphics into the next version of the iPhone, and they state:

"The next generation of iPhone appears set to claim exclusive access to advanced graphics core and video decoding technology, thanks to a secret licensing deal between Apple, mobile graphics leader Imagination Technologies, and Samsung, the iPhone's ARM "system on a chip" manufacturer. The result may be an ideal platform for handheld gaming and high definition video playback."

Most mobiles, including the iPhone, currently use a version of Imagination's PowerVR MBX graphics processor core which supports the features of OpenGL ES 1.1. However, it is what Appleinsider reports next about Imagination that is really fascinating:

"Last July, Imagination announced a deal to license its "next generation graphics and video IP cores to an international electronics systems company under a multi-use licensing agreement." The electronics system company was not named.

The release stated that "the SoCs to be developed under this license agreement will be produced for this new partner by Imagination’s existing semiconductor partners and/or new chip manufacturing partners."

The fact that this "electronics system company" was both a "new partner" and not itself a chip manufacturer strongly suggests that the international electronics mystery company was in fact, Apple, Inc., which stands among very few other companies as new to mobile graphics core licensing yet dependent upon third party manufacturers who are already Imagination partners.

Combined with knowledge that Samsung is now licensing the next generation SGX and VXD designs for manufacturing, this indicates that Apple has secured unique Imagination technology for its own exclusive use, and is using Samsung to manufacture the new SoC parts for future models."

Interesting stuff indeed! It seems that the closer we get to the next iPhone model, the more frequent and the more interesting the rumors associated with it become. I find that the mysterious licensing agreement with Imagination as particularly interesting, and especially when you combined that with Apple's recent purchase of PA Semi, a small, independent, semi conductor company, which has sparked a lot questions and a lot of tongues wagging. Could this tie into the next and future versions of the iPhone? Most likely, but how so we have yet to find out.

It is always fun, for me at least, to read of rumors concerning Apple. Hey, there's a virtual industry concerning Apple rumors out there, and even though some of these turn out to be true, most of them don't. They are all interesting to say the least, but what I really want is for the next iPhone to just hurry up and get here already!

And that's my 2 cents 4 this Thursday, May 01, 2008.

Photo: Apple Inc.

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What's Next for the iPhone?

What's next for the iPhone, the world's most talked about and hyped gadget? 

Well, for one, 3G capability is a given, but what else? A new case design, GPS, higher resolution camera, physical keyboard, tactile keyboard? Your guess is as good as mine, but one thing that would be a nice is having various iPhone models at various price points to choose from. Of course, lower prices all around is nice thing too and some are already speculating that this may indeed be the case as reported here.

I don't even have a cell phone, because, frankly, in my case, I don't need or even want one. However, I assure you, just as soon as we Canadians are able to get our hands on an iPhone, I will immediately rush out and pick one up, regardless of whether I need one or not. That's the power of the iPhone. No other device has captured the attention, desire, or should I say downright lust, as has the iPhone. The main reason this is, I believe, is because the iPhone is more than just a phone, more than just a music player - it is a status symbol, a miniature personal computer that is no longer just limited to what other phones are, or can do, or in other words - it's what ever you want it to be!

With the newest iPhone hitting the market in or around June 9, the date of Apple's WorldWide Developer's Conference, many are predicting big things for the little pocket device. And why wouldn't they? With the SDK now firmly in the hands of some 200,000 plus developers, I am predicting that we are going to be seeing some pretty amazing applications coming out, and ones that will not only more fully demonstrate the iPhone's full potential, but also, ones that make the iPhone seem more like that of a Star Trek communicator than just that of another cell phone. With iChat's video capabilities, that some are predicting to be coming soon, why, even Captain Kirk himself would feel right at home.

Yes, no doubt about it, the iPhone is not only a cell phone, but a high-end gaming machine, internet device, dictionary, encylopedia, calendar, and whatever else you care to call it. It is, as I have said many times, a little pocket Mac computer that just happens to make calls. No, it won't replace your current Mac desktop or laptop, but it will supersede it in other areas. After all, even though the MacBook Air is one of the most mobile devices to carry around these days, it and other devices can't even begin to compare to the iPhone for wearable portability. Now only if Apple could make a waterproof model then you could wear it just about anywhere, 24/7.

So, just what's next for Apple's hit wonder? A lot more of the same, of course, but also a lot more of what's not the same - completely new functions and abilities that no one has ever dreamt or thought was even possible, and all thanks, in part, to the fact that being a miniature OS X based Mac computer, the iPhone, like computers generally, is a device that is only limited by the human imagination, which, of and by itself, is virtually unlimited!

And that's my 2 cents 4 this Wednesday, April the 30 th, 2008.

Image via ZDNet

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The OQO the Latest and Smallest Hackintosh (Mac Clone)!

Now that Psystar has let the cat out of the bag, so to speak, yet another "Hackintosh" has appeared and this time Engadget reports on a OQO running Leopard OS X, making it also quite possibly the world's smallest OS X enabled machine. Engadget shows a slick video of the OQO running the award winning OS, but to my observation, rather slowly. On the video it claims a two minute boot up time, which compared to the 27 second boot up time on an Apple machine, seems rather archaic. However, as you can see in the video it works! Not sure of the value of OS X on such a small device, but if your technically inclined, have a OQO, a legitimate copy of OSX, and a lot of time on your hands, well, then you too can give it a try.

Personally, what this demonstrates is the fact that a lot of people are interested in running OS X on more than just Apple branded products. Will the day ever come that Apple legally licenses OS X? It's a long shot, but stranger things have happened. As long as it doesn't hurt Apple's hardware sales too much, I think it would be great for both Apple and we consumers alike. Apple makes great hardware and as such will always have an advantage over other sellers of any potential OS X license machines. I like to see low priced OS X based clones for us poorer souls, leaving the high-end, super stylish and elegant computers for Apple itself to produce and sell. Any loss of revenue from these low cost OS X clones would be more than made up by extra OS sales. 

As for the day that happens only God and Steve Jobs could say, but in the meantime, we can always hope and dream, can't we?

And that's my 2 cents 4 this Tuesday, April the 29th, 2008.

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It's Official: Canada Finally Gets the iPhone via Rogers

According to Appleinsider it is now official: Rogers has landed the rights to sell the iPhone here in Canada. It's about time! It seems that we poor suffering Canadians have been waiting far longer than the one year that the device has been on the market. 

Rogers issued a statement saying, "We're thrilled to announce that we have a deal with Apple to bring the iPhone to Canada later this year," the carrier said in a statement. "We can't tell you any more about it right now, but stay tuned."

Rats, what this really says is that we Canadians have to wait just a wee bit longer. Bummer! All we really have at this point is the knowledge that Rogers has officially landed the iPhone distribution rights. Many have speculated on why we suffering Canadians would have had to wait so long, especially since were living right next to the U.S., but now it seems that the main reason was due to a lack of competition here in the great white north. Because of this Rogers and other carriers, the few that we have, have been getting away with charging sky-high data charges, something that Apple insists it won't tolerate with the iPhone, as Apple demands that the device be used along with cheap unlimited data plans. If I'm correct on this, then this just might mean that our Canadians wallets may finally be getting a break from these ridiculous high data charges, at least I hope so?

A lot of people here in Canada will be pleased, of course, that the iPhone is finally almost here, but others, myself included, am a little disappointed that Apple has gone with a locked version.  I was hoping for an unlocked version. A lot of people hate the idea of being tied to one provider be it Rogers or whom ever. This, of course, means that if you have a problem with Rogers, for example, and you want to continue to use your iPhone, well then tuff luck, you either you have to put up with them or rid yourself of the use of the iPhone. Yes, you can hack it so you can use it on another network, but frankly thats a big pain in the you know what?

So, just how long is "later in the year?" Your guess is as good as mine, but the sooner the better I say. We have waited long enough. In any event I'm just glad that the wait is almost over.


And that's my 2 cents 4 this Tuesday, April the 29th, 2008.

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New iMacs and New PC iMac Copy Cats

Finally, more or less, as predicted, Apple has quietly updated it's line of sleek iMac computers. They now come in four models from the basic unit, which featuress a 2.4GHz Intel Core Duo with 1GB of RAM, 8x double-layer SuperDrive, 250GB hard drive, plus an ATI HD 2400XT graphic card with 128MB of video unit,for $1,199 dollars, all the way up to an extreme model that features a configuration which includes a 3.06GHz Intel Core Duo, 8c double-layer SuperDrive, a NVIDIA GeForce 88 GS with 512MB of video, and a generous 500GB hard drive, for a base price of $2,199.

One thing that I noticed, besides Apple revealing the new models on Monday rather then on it's traditional Tuesdays, as in the past, was the fact that Apple's high sky pricing for additional RAM was a lot more reasonable this time around! The 2GB of RAM on the top end model, for instance, now comes with the option of doubling the 2GB to 4GB for only $200 more, which compared to Apple's previous pricing seems almost like a steal! No doubt, you can still upgrade the RAM for cheaper yourself, but hey, it's a start!

The top end iMac is impressive, but, of course, it still is no match for Apple's MacPro line of desktops, but then again, it's certainly is no slouch either. This is the one model that would interest me, but I still can't quite stomach the idea that the SuperDrive is still only 8x. I've seen budget priced PC's that were a lot more tempting than that. Still, if your in the market for a new all-in-one, then this baby should do you proud, even though yours truly will still wait and save up for that MacPro dream tower of his.

All-in-all, the newly and quietly bumped up Macs make for a nice upgrade, with the only bummer being the poor souls that bought a new iMac in the past little while. Even though they got to be feeling a little cheated at the moment, the truth is, that regardless of when you purchased your iMac, your machine should still serve you well for a very long time to come and the increase, as nice as it is, isn't all that too much to get upset over.

Meanwhile, Dell's XP One and Gateway's One, all-in-one, iMac copycat PC's now have company. Several PC OEM's are planning on adding their own versions of the's iMac. Gizmodo has recently reported on Fujitsu's new FMV F-A50, seen below.


This machine is a very beautiful looking computer which boasts a stand that unlike, the iMac, can not only adjust the screen, but in this case, also raise or lower the monitor. For me this is no real biggy, but to some it might just be right combination. One thing, however, that is a biggy to me is the fact that it only comes in a 16 inch screen. Considering that the approximately priced $1,200 machine is the same as the 20 inch iMac is rather disappointing to say the least.


In addition to the sexy little Fujitsu, another iMac copy cat PC is the TG Sambo's Lluon, seen above. This beauty comes in all black and boasts a 22 inch screen monitor. Though now only available in Korea, this sexy little piece will eventually be sold in the U.S. in a Best Buy near you very soon. Thus far, unfortunately, there has been very little info on this machine, so pricing and it's full specs are still unavailable, but hopefully, not for long.

The Dell XP One, Gateway One, and now the Fujitsu's and Sambo, all go a long way to demonstrate Apple's influence in the world of tech. So many people, in the past, have taunted me that Apple was not only going out of business any day now, but had absolutely no influence or impact what so ever. Well, anybody with eyes can see that is no longer the case. These iMac copy cats are great additions to the world of Window base computers, but sadly, they still have one major problem: they can only run Windows and Linux! Legally, of course, they can't run OS X which is by far my biggest complaint with these beautiful, but limited machines. Contrary to some, I don't hate either Windows or Linux OS's, but as much as I like them both for their respective strengths, over all I have yet to see any other OS equal, let alone best, the Mac's OS. This does not for instance mean that these machines are not superior in certain ways to OS X, for example: gaming on the PC side, and cost on the Linux side. It's rather hard to get a better price than free after all.

In conclusion, I just want to add that I really like the newer bumped up iMac's and the new designs of the iMac like PC's. All-in-all, there has never been a better time to buy a PC, be it a Windows, Linux or Mac, and never has the public had such a rich choice of models in which to choose from.


And that's my 2 cents 4 this Monday, April the 28th, 2008.

Photos via http://Apple.com and Gizmodo

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New Faster, More Capable iMacs Tuesday?

Geeksugar yesterday reported that they had an inside scoop from a source that has proven itself very accurate in the past, and that same source revealed that Apple will soon be unveiling newer, faster iMacs with bigger hard drives and faster graphic cards, and all without a bigger price!

Nice, very nice, if it all turns out to be true, but true, or false, we won't have much longer to wait since it could be as early as this Tuesday. Apple normally introduces new models on Tuesdays, and, hopefully, that will be the case here too?

It's a given that any new iMac will feature Intel's new 45 nanometer Penryn chip, which not only would give the iMac an increase in speed, but also a reduction in power consumption that would allow Apple to give the already slim iMac an even slimmer enclosure!

Geeksugar was silent, however, on any news concerning the iMac's little brother, the Mini. However, others have suggested that it too would, mostly likely, be updated along with the iMac. There have been conflicting reports that the Mini was near it's end, but others have reported that this is not the case at all, and that it too may be given an extension. I guess that we will just have to wait and see on that one a wee bit longer too. Hopefully, the Mac Mini will be upgraded as it, being the least expensive Mac that you can buy, is really great for people who are curious about the world of Mac, but can't quite justify the expense of an iMac.

As I said, we just have to wait and see what Apple delivers, if it delivers anything? That said, I do hope it is true, and I also hope its more than just what Geeksugar is reporting. I'm just dreaming here, but it would be nice if Apple were to also introduce an iMac that was similar in ways to the Gateway One.

The Gateway One, for those who may not know, is an all-in-one computer system that was, for the most part, inspired by the iMac itself. It's a sleek black version of the iMac, but one thing that it does have, and one thing that in my opinion is better than the iMac, is that the Gateway has a much more easily expandable case. With the Gateway you can simply open the back and pop in a better and faster graphic card, or memory, for instance. A very nice touch indeed. Of course, it's not as expandable as a regular tower, but still it's a nice touch, and trumps the iMac in that respect. The Gateway One also has a built in TV tuner that I would also love to see added to the iMac, especially since they add a lot of extra functionality at very little cost.

SwitchtoMac has pointed out some interesting reasons on why Geeksugar's sources may, in fact, be correct concerning any upcoming iMacs. One of the more interesting ones is when they say:

"There is a possibility that Apple will release the new iMac models on May 6, the 10th anniversary of the original iMac release. If so, that's less than two weeks from now."

Hmmm, seems logical to me. It's always nice to have something a little special for such occasions, and even though Apple doesn't always celebrate these anniversary's with a new product, they have done so in the past.

What I do find incredible to believe is that it's been ten-long years since Apple first introduced the iMac! Wow, it seems just like yesterday. The introduction of the fruit flavored colored iMac is what saved Apple, no doubt, from the very real specter of extinction, as the iMac was the first in a long string of home run hits for Apple that paved the way for iPod's and the incredible iPhone.

So, in conclusion, let me say that if Geeksugar's sources are indeed correct and if you were already planning in buying yourself a new iMac this week, well, then hold on to your hat, you might just want to wait until at least next Tuesday.

I would, after all, hate to see you having to kick yourself, come Wednesday, now wouldn't I?

And that's my 2 cents 4 this Friday, April the 25th, 2008.

Photo credit: Apple Inc.

Blog-4-the-Day: The Vital Muse

Paul Garfinkel, is a great photographer, and one who's delightful pictures I have had the privilege to share on my own blog's,"Pic-4-the-Day," feature several times now. However, I'm very happy and excited to announce that he is now also the author of his own very own blog called the, "The Vital Muse," which, like his photography, just happens to be really cool.

According to Paul, his blog is about:

"The musings of a 55 year old health care professional - slash - frustrated performing and visual artist. Life does not begin at 40, it begins at the beginning. But, like a fine wine (yet another of my passions), becomes smoother, more complex and sophisticated with age."

It is also a delightful blend of great reading coupled with some very delightful photography thrown in, and something that I find is always a very good mix for any blog to have indeed!

Some of his recent posts include:

Taking Wing

River Walk Reflections

Earth Week and another post that I really enjoyed called, Old-Hippies-Never-Die.

For a new blog, I'm very impressed with the quality and amount of hard work that Paul has already shown and put into. I'm not the only one, of course, who happens to feel this way, because as young as the Vital Muse is, it has already won the, "Hootin Anni," award!

I also enjoyed reading the many comments that his new readers have left behind. Why, it seemed that it took me forever before anyone ever noticed, let alone, commented here on this little practice blog of mind; so, I guess that makes me feel just a weeeee...... bit jealous to boot, but not really - as the Vital Muse deserves all the recognition it has received thus far, and I'm sure, if Paul keeps it up,  will continue to receive in the future by the look of things.

All-in-all, the Vital Muse is a blog that is very well done and one that I can heartedly recommend to anyone. Not only does the Vital Muse feature some great photos and stories, but it also features some direct links to Paul's Flickr photo stream, and, as well, River Road Photo and his band, The Ashley Gang, which you can listen to if you click on it's link, and a band which has that wonderful melodic sound which I find very soothing and refreshing. Wow... I'm very impressed Paul!

Hmmm, this blogger can only wish he could be as versatile and talented as Paul. When I sing - birds fall from the sky and babies start to cry... in other words I can't sing for beans! So, out of respect for tranquility, birds flying overhead, and little babies, I shall leave the singing to Paul. It's better that way, believe me.

So, in conclusion, may I suggest that you drop in and visit Paul and his terrific new blog, The Vital Muse, by clicking on his links above or directly here.

You can thank me later.


And that's my 2 cents 4 this Thursday, April the 24th, 2008.

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What's Wrong With Linux?

Paul Murphy, writing for ZDNet, has an interesting post titled, "Umm, Yummy: Mactel eats Lintel's desktop".

In it, Paul points out, "Red Hat recently issued a press release under the title What’s Going On With Red Hat Desktop Systems? An Update whose content boiled down to “It’s a loser, so We’re bailing.”

Novell’s SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 is a cool two year old product from a company whose CEO recently opined that the Linux “consumer desktop will take years”.

Yes, I think that those quotes sum up a lot about the current state of Linux, a system I admire very much. In many ways, it's so OS X like that it's uncanny, but still, at the same time, so utterly different in other ways that it's very frustrating. Even though Ubuntu has done a lot to bring attention to Linux, sadly, its's about the only thing it has brought. It hasn't, for example, brought very many switchers from either the Microsoft or the OS X camps. Even though the Linux desktop market share has double from the past year, it still is only about a little over one half of one percent of the market!

Paul illustrated as much when he stated, "Ubuntu has lots of vocal support but isn’t expanding its base; there’s no new Debian in sight; and the excitement that could drive one of the other distributions into the spotlight just doesn’t seem to be there. Even the Linux based OLPC, a product whose interface could have been a threat to Windows, seems to have been successfully embraced, extended, and extinguished."

Paul asks what happened, where did all of the discontented Wintel switchers go? Mactel, that's where! As Paul points out there is no longer any real difference in Apple's hardware offerings (well, despite being a little more expensive and a lot more sexy!), so people are no longer as fearful of switching, and especially now that the Mac's has both the ability to run Windows either natively or via virtualization software. This has been great for the Mac, but for Linux, on the desktop, it has been the opposite.

So, as I would put it, "What's wrong with Linux," why hasn't it made any real gains in market share? The above is all true, of course, but there is more to it than that. Its not just a simple question of what is the Linux community doing wrong, but also of what is Apple doing right?

Paul further goes on to state, "There is a more subtle reason too: I think people who compare the Linux desktop, especially the Gnome incarnations, to Windows tend to see Linux as imitative while those who compare Windows Vista to MacOS X cannot but see Windows as imitative - and, given a choice, people will take the real thing over an imitation every time."

Yes, Apple clearly sets the standards here, but an even bigger problem for Linux is that it simply can't match what Apple can in various other areas. For example - marketing. The Linux community doesn't have the billions and billions of dollars in the bank, that they could utilize for the best marketing campaigns money can buy. Whether you hate em, or love em, those pesky, "I'm a PC; I'm a Mac" ads have brought a lot of attention to the Mac and into everybody's living rooms. Since more people know about the Mac, naturally, therefore, more people will consider switching to the Mac than Linux. After all, it was Microsoft's marketing muscle, not it's superiority over the Mac that gave it the edge and allowed it to take over the desktop.

In addition to the advertising muscle that dollars bring to bare, there is that other "media factor" going for Apple. That would, of course, be none other than the man himself, Steve Jobs. Jobs is such a legend in the industry (several industries in fact) that all he has to do is sneeze and the world comes flocking to quote him. It's hard to compete with a man who's "reality distortion field" is so powerful that it makes the media bend over backward. This all contributes to Apple's "mind share', which is even more powerful than advertising dollars! No one in the Linux camp, sadly, has such clout or influence.

Yet another factor that makes it hard for Linux is in the sales channel, or the lack there of! Macs are simply sold in more places than Linux machines, therefore they naturally get bigger sales, or momentum. Even Wallmart, which was a big Linux hope, has stopped selling them directly in it's stores. Make no doubt about it, shoppers like to have the ability of being able to come into a store and "kick the tires" as they say. The extremely few,"kick the tire," locations where people can buy a Linux equipped machine has been a big factor in not making this the year of Linux, yet once more.

Of course, the biggest reason that Mactel is eating Linux's lunch is simply because, as an operating system, OS X is a lot more mature and refined than any Linux distro. For most people, it is simply the best OS ever created, as many publications have already stated. Yes, I know that Linux is better for the power geeks, those who love to compile and tinker, but they are not the majority of desktop users.

The people behind Linux have produced a very stable and secure and remarkable system, but again, it's hard for Linux to do what Apple has done because of the lack of money, and I mean money more than not! Linux might be "free", but it still takes money to create a truly compelling OS. Linux has the talent, but until it has the money that will allow that talent to be able to devote all it's time and energy into making Linux the best it can be, it simply won't be able to compete with either Microsoft or Apple. Say what you will, but software developers have to feed their kids and pay their bills too. It is, sadly, rather hard to give all your time, talent and best efforts to Linux on a part-time, hobbyist basis and time schedule.

Despite the lack of money and other resources, however, it's absolutely amazing what has been accomplished by Linux hobbyists, but it still doesn't cut the mustard. Modern operating systems are complex beasts with their millions of lines of code, and require more than just talent, something the Linux community has in spades. One of the things that I feel that is wrong about Linux and why it has failed to captured any significant market share is because of it's lack of focus and direction. In other words, the Linux community needs, as already stated, someone like Steve Jobs, rather than what Linux has now... many, many different heads, all going off in different directions, and competing among themselves instead of Microsoft or Apple.

Another big, big downer for Linux when competing for Window switchers is software. Yes, I know that there are tons and tons of open source programs for Linux, but sadly, when it comes to the ones that people actually want to use - like, you know, the commercial variety - Linux comes out sorely lacking.

OS X, on the other hand, not only has a huge library of commercial programs, but an even bigger source of open source software, many of which go beyond anything in either the Linux or Windows camps. Case in point: Quicksilver for OS X. It's an incredible program that is also incredibly hard to describe, so I will let you explore it on your own, but suffice to say.... it's awesome, and just one example of the advantages of OS X over Linux.

So, in conclusion, let me say that I personally hope that Linux becomes and remains a viable option to both Windows and OS X. So far, I haven't seen any compelling reason to switch from either Windows or OS X to Linux. However, Linux is a great OS with an even greater potential and I want to see it take it's place along with OS X as a viable Windows alternative. We all need Linux, because just as nobody only wants a choice between two different kinds of foods, two different kinds of cars, two different kinds of telephones, or two different types of newspapers, etc., so should we not only be limited to just two different kinds of OS choices, Windows and OS X.

And that's my 2 cents 4 this, Wednesday, April 23, 2008.

Photo credit: http://www.sevensheaven.nl/

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The Most Expensive Laptops

If you think that Macs are already too expensive, well, hold on to your mouse, because thanks to Computer Chopper's/ you can now purchase Macs that are, well... really, really expensive as in 24kt Gold and Sapphire studded ones!

Yes, as you can plainly see above, this MacBook Air is covered in lovely, shiny and oh so very expensive gold!

Don't worry if you much rather have a gold studded MacBook Pro, or iMac, because now anybody can have one of those too...... well, anyone with money to burn that is, and I mean like lots of it. How much they don't say, but I think it's safe to say that it's a lot more money than I have to spend.

Of course, if you have money (did I mention lots of it?) you are not just limited to just gold, but you can also have the choice of either:

• Chrome
• Black Nickel
• 24kt Yellow Gold
• White Gold
• Rose Gold
• Platinum

Plus, as Computer-Shopper points out, each plating type comes with 3 distinct finishes:

• Satin (brushed)
• Crystallite (flat)
• Polished

Wow, I always knew that money had it's privileges, but I didn't realize just how much so. Well, there you go, if you just happen to be a Arab oil sheik, Bill Gates, or what have you, then I suggest that you head on over to Computer Chopper's/ this very minute and order yourself a couple dozen of these shiny, expensive babies for you and your friends! For one thing, the next time you walk into Starbucks, you may not be the only one there with a MacBook, but chances are pretty good that you will be the only one there with a gold plated, sapphire encrusted one!



So, in conclusion, let me say that even though I think that the whole idea of a gold plated Mac is is silly and totally unnecessary, I have to admit that they are pretty cool looking at the same time. So, even if you can't afford to buy one of these gold and sapphire encrusted darlings, at least we can all afford to visit Computer Chopper's/ even if it's just to dream. After all, visiting the site and dreaming of owning one of these gems is still free, and that at least is something that I can still afford!

And that's my 2 cents 4 this, Tuesday, April 22, 2008.

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Blast From the Past: The Sexy Computer - The Lisa!

Apple started working in 1978 on what I felt was, and still is, one of the best looking computers ever built - the Lisa. Sadly, even though the Lisa succeeded in the looks department, it failed miserably in the market place.

Despite the similarities, and despite what many think, the Lisa and the Macintosh were not picked from the same Apple tree. The Lisa, was, in fact, a far more advanced and sophisticated beast than the Mac ever was at the time. For one, it had one huge advantage that the Mac didn't - protected memory! Not only that, but Lisa also included a much more advance calculator with RPN and even a paper tape, and as well, support for up to 2 megabytes of RAM! Oh, those where the days.

Other Lisa features that bested the Mac were it's expansion slots, and it's much larger and higher resolution monitor - 12 inches vs the Mac's 9 inches. The Mac, however, on the other hand, included a much faster processor, a 8 MHz 68000 CPU, where as the 5 MHz 68000 CPU, included with the Lisa, was somewhat under powered for the very much more complexed Lisa OS. This made Lisa's performance feel, in comparison, very sluggish and slow, especially when scrolling, etc.

"Local Integrated Software Architecture," Apple stated was what the Lisa named stood for, but it is believed, by some, to have been chosen for Steve Job's daughter, Lisa. What ever is the case, when Apple's Lisa finally hit the market in 1983, the machine had the incredible price of $9,995 dollars, a huge some even by today's standards! Besides being underpowered, the huge price of the Lisa was most likely the main reason why the machine failed so miserably in the market place.

I remember when seeing the Lisa, for the first time, in Canada, how it impressed and wowed me. Compared to everything else out there it was miles ahead and was completely unique in almost every area. Yes, I remember, as a boy, the $15,000 CDN price was totally beyond anything that I could have ever hope to spend, but I was determined, nonetheless, from that moment on to get one. I never did, of course, but, hopefully, someday, if I'm lucky, I might just pick one up for a few dollars as a collector's item?

Eventually, Lisa's hardware was improved and the priced dropped to between $3,495 and $5,495. For less money one could now get a Lisa with Sony's new 400k microdrive, which replaced Lisa's, one-of-a-kind, "Twiggy" drive, which where both very large and expensive. Unlike the Macintosh, the Lisa was, like the Apple ll, an open system. One could easily add in cards and options such as a huge (at the time) 10 megabyte hard drive, but sadly, not too many 3rd party companies built much for the Lisa aside from SCSI controllers, hard drives and double-sided 31\2 in floppy drives.

Lisa's advanced operation system gave it virtual memory and even though it didn't have non-preemptive multitasking, it did have cooperative multitasking. The OS itself was built on two user modes: the Lisa Office System (the GUI) and the Workshop, which was a development environment. The Lisa Office System was later renamed "7\7" because it consisted of seven supplied application programs. These were: LisaWrite, LisaCalc, LisaDraw, LisaList, LisaTerminal, LisaGraph and LisaProject. Later, after the successful launch of the Macintosh, Lisa adopted MacWorks, an emulation feature that allowed the Lisa to run Mac software and, in 1985, the Lisa was re-branded as the Macintosh XL.

Yes, the Lisa may have been a business flop, but as the first real GUI computer on the market, the Lisa pioneered and paved the way for all future OS's, be they Window, Linux, or Macintosh based. I remember with great fondness reading and seeing this amazing piece of computer history. The Lisa was just so far ahead of the curve that it's a shame that Apple didn't do this computer right. The Lisa was more than a historical piece, it could have been a contender, and a great business success had only Apple priced it better and gave it a better processor, etc.

I was sad to see Apple discontinue the Lisa, but even more so, I was sickened to read that Apple simply chose to bulldoze the remaining stock - thousands of them - in some landfill somewhere in Utah! It seemed like such a waste, not only of computer hardware, but also of potential. Why Apple couldn't have simply donated the last couple of thousand Lisa's to various non-profit organizations, or better yet, to some bug eyed, poor, admiring kid (that would be me) I will never know?

So today, I look back at the Lisa with both admiration and tears. Admiration for the path that it blazed and tears for what it could have become. All-in-all, the Lisa, regardless of it's short comings, was an impressive accomplishment that came from the minds of some pretty equally impressive Apple engineers, all of whom I salute for all of the hard work and dedication that they put into this, "Blast-From-The-Past," and the one that inspired all future computers that followed it; for indeed, yesterday's Lisa - has become the basis of the modern PC of today!

Thanks for the Lisa guys, and for all of the fond memories that I have of it.

And that's my 2 cents 4 this, Monday, April 21, 2008.

UPDATE: A wonderful look back at the Sexy Lisa can be found here: American Heritage

Photo credit: Courtesy of Apple Computer, Inc.
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Will the Missing Mac Ever be Found?

One website is reporting  that there is a glaring hole - a missing Mac in Apple's lineup. I, like many, many others, will echo the same, that there is, indeed, a missing Mac positioned somewhere between the $599 Mac Mini and the $2,299  Mac Pro, and a computer that some like to refer to as the missing gaming Mac - an easy to expand system with a starting price of around $999. 

Any such missing Mac would have to have at least two hard drive bays, a PCI slot, and, very importantly, an upgradable video card. A lot of people can't afford a $ 2,000 system in one shot, but if they could easily start off with a system that they could just add to, from time to time, then it would be, in my humble opinion, not only a real boon for any potential Mac customer, but, as well, for Apple sales.

As great as the Mini, iMac and Mac Pro are, there are always people who's needs will fall somewhere in between those particular price points, features and specs. I'm not sure exactly how many people are out there who are looking for this missing Mac, but I'd bet that it is more than large enough to justify building it. 

My biggest grip about the iMac, a machine that still wows me, is the fact that I'm stuck with Apple's choice of video cards and internal drives. I would love to be able to add a newer, more powerful card, but, as it stands now, even if we had that choice, the design of the case does not make that an easy task. 

Any upgradable missing Mac would, of course, have to be a unit that allowed one to not only add just what they wanted, but also would not come too close, or exceed those specs of the Mac Pro, who's sales Apple has to naturally protect. This is most likely one of the main reasons that Apple has yet to introduce the missing Mac thus far. My main and only grip about the Pro is the high price of entry. As for the Mini, I love the price, but I hate it's lack of expandability and it's lack of power.

As Applematters pointed out, Apple has already, most likely, already experimented with such a system, but if so, we want to know when, if ever, Apple will release it? For many of us that can't be soon enough! Sadly, Apple should have given us such a system years ago. In fact, all of the hoopla over Psystar's $399 Open Computer, proves beyond any doubt, that there is such a market for such a cheap, user upgradable Mac  - a system between the price, features and specs offered by both the Mini and the Mac Pro!

So, in conclusion, I can only hope that Apple's missing Mac will be soon found and won't go missing for much longer, and that it will be in the sales channel soon, because the missing Mac not only means that Apple is not only missing out on a great opportunity to add to it's sales, but also to add even more switchers to the ever growing world that is the Mac.

And that's my 2 cents 4 this, Thursday, April 17, 2008.

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The Ultimate Lab Test: The iMac vs the Gateway One - Which Comes Out On Top?

Popular Mechanics conducted what they called, "The Ultimate Lab Test," that pitted Apple's popular iMac desktop against that of the stylish Gateway One, and, inaddition, Apple's hugely popular MacBook against the very capable Asus M51SR laptop.

Popular Mechanic reported:

"In our speed trials ... Leopard OS trounced Vista in all-important tasks such as boot-up, shutdown and program-launch times. We even tested Vista on the Macs using Apple's platform-switching Boot Camp software -- and found that both Apple computers ran Vista faster than our PCs did."

PM clocked and noted that the 2.0 GHz core 2 Duo Gateway desktop took a full 1 minute and 13 seconds to start up, and a whopping 44.3 seconds to shut down. In comparison, the comparably equipped iMac, started up in a mere 28.7 seconds and only took in an incredible short 4 seconds flat to shut down! 

These benchmarks prove, once again, that Macs are a lot more than just a pretty face. Since both machines share basically the very same hardware and components, it mostly comes down to the operating system - Vista vs OS X Leopard.

In the end, Popular Mechanic has reinforced the fact that both the Mac's hardware and Apple's award winning OS X, can beat similar offerings on the PC side, and not just in speed, but also in style and price. In fact, I might add that, when it comes to style and class, the Mac offerings are in a class all of their own. Of course, the PC's have been doing their best to emulate Apple's style and ease of use. However, none of them have quite equalled Apple yet, but they are certainly improving, even beating Apple in a few areas, but over all, Apple still comes out on top. Way to go..... Apple!

PM's Official Verdict:

"Mac: In both the laptop and desktop showdowns, Apple’s computers were the winners. Oddly, the big difference didn’t come in our user ratings, where we expected the famously friendly Mac interface to shine. Our respondents liked the look and feel of both operating systems but had a slight preference toward OS X. In our speed trials, however, Leopard OS trounced Vista in all-important tasks such as boot-up, shutdown and program-launch times. We even tested Vista on the Macs using Apple’s platform-switching Boot Camp software—and found that both Apple computers ran Vista faster than our PCs did. 

The PC: Simply put, Vista proved to be a more sluggish operating system than Leopard. Our PCs installed some software faster, but in general they were slower in our time trials. Plus, both PCs showed weaker performance on third-party benchmarks than the Macs. Our biggest surprise, however, was that PCs were not the relative bargains we expected them to be. The Asus M51sr costs the same as a MacBook, while the Gateway One actually costs $300 more than an iMac. That means for the price of the Gateway you could buy an iMac, boost its hard drive to match the Gateway’s, purchase a copy of Vista to boot—and still save $100. " (Emphasis mine throughout)

In conclusion, let me say that all four machines are great products and should serve their owners well. For more information you can read Popular Mechanic's findings and benchmarks by clicking on the link above or here.

 

And that's my 2 cents 4 this, Thursday, April 17, 2008.

 

Is Apple Behind Psystar's Cheap Mac Clone?

It seems that everybody in the tech world is talking about Psystar and their $399 Mac clone, but nobody, however, seems to know much, if anything, about the company itself.

Why is that; what exactly is going on here? I have a theory, and it's just that, a theory, and, as theories goes, well, it's a pretty far fetched one, but you never know, it could be true?

Just what is this ridiculous theory of mine?

Simple: that Apple is behind the whole thing!

Yes, you heard me right! But why would Apple be behind Psystar and what evidence would support my wild theory? Well, with all of the trouble with Vista that Microsoft is having these days, coupled with all of the interest in OS X, I am just saying that maybe, just maybe, Apple is testing the waters to see what kind of interest there might be in licensing OS X to other PC OEM's, that's all.

Now for evidence, I will simply point out these two points, as flimsy as they are:

ONE: Apple has remained mysteriously quiet on the whole affair - too quiet! I mean, think about it - Apple is a sue happy company, one that is more than willing to sue the city of New York for it's "Big Apple" campaign that features a logo that resembles Apple's own, the way a Mercedees SL 550 resembles one of those tiny, little Smart cars of theirs! So, why the silence on a company that clearly violating Apple's EULA?

TWO: As pointed out in an article by the Gaurdian's Charles Arthur:

"The Psystar site talks a lot. OK. The site was registered in 2000, according to whois, but what's odd is that searches on Google and on Live.com don't turn up anything about the company before this week. Zip. Zero. Nada.

I called the Miami Chamber of Commerces and its Better Business Bureau. They've never heard of it."

Now both of these are just interesting points, not, of course, any type of proof. It gets more interesting, however, when the Guardian points out this bit of weirdness:

"And then we thought we'd look closer at the location they're in. And that's where things got really strange.

The address had changed completely."

But that's not all folks, as Charles goes on to add:

"OK, that's got to be the weirdest thing I've ever seen in years of covering technology. The first address, on Google Maps, looks like your average row of suburban houses.

The second - new! - one looks far more office-y, or at least industrial.

But you know what's most interesting? Apple's complete silence on this. It hasn't said a word. I suspect that it's waiting to see if anything emerges from this. It hasn't stopped the Mac world working itself into a lather, poring over EULAs and talking about EFIs; it's just nobody seems to have bothered to pick up a phone and call."

Yes, as Charles put it, this has got to be "the weirdest thing," and it makes me think that Psystar is nothing more than a dummy corporation that is acting on behalf of Apple to test the waters, so to speak.

After all, let's not forget that Dell, IBM (at the time), HP, and I believe one other major PC OEM, have already begged Steve Jobs, in the recent past, to license OS X to them. How do I know? Simple: because his greatness said so! I remember it so well. We all know how Michael Dell feels about OS X, don't we? Well, I, for one, sure do. I remember him, in a video interview, talk about how happy he would be to build a, Dell based, OS X machine for the interviewer, just as soon as Apple would allow him to!

Yet another statement by Jobs comes to mind that makes me wonder even more about all of this. That is the statement that Mr. Jobs gave to Walt Mossberg, when Walt interviewed both Jobs and Gates together just last year. In that interview, Steve told Walt, and very candidly, that he considers Apple to be more like Microsoft - a software company, rather than a hardware company! Yes, there you have it, Jobs himself had admitted that Apple really was a software company, and just like Microsoft!

Naturally, even though Jobs considers Apple a software company, first and foremost, it still, however, is a hardware company, even if it be one only secondarily. Apple has to protect it's hardware division, of course, as it's much too valuable to just abandon nilly-willy. But when you think about the fact that Microsoft probably makes considerably more on sales of Vista than Apple does on hardware, well, then my "wild n crazy" theory is not all that crazy, now is it?

After all, I remember reading several sources saying that Apple could always let other's build cheap Mac clones - as they would tend to get people addicted to the Mac, and thus, leaving them to wonder just how much more of a better experience that a Apple branded Mac would be - because frankly, even though Dell and others might be able to build a cheaper Mac, they, in my opinion, could never build one that is as beautiful or as functional. Only Apple does and could build such a machine.

Also, remember: that cheap pc box's bring in very little, if any, real profit, so why not let others build them? It would, however, free up Apple to really start bringing home the real bacon with it's OS sales!

So, in the end, whether a person buys an ugly, less enjoyable Mac clone, or they buy a more beautiful, functional and elegant one from Apple, it's Apple that still gets the sale - and a lot, lot more sales than they ever could have gotten from Apple's efforts alone.

If my crazy and wild 2 cents of a theory is correct, then all I will say is that the days of Microsoft's Windows dominance is about to come to an end, and rather quickly, because Windows users are looking, if not down right begging, for an alternative to Windows and all of the hassles that Windows brings with it. Frankly, as great as the potential for Linux is, it just doesn't cut the mustard as a desktop now - and, most likely, never will!

So, that leaves only one real alternative - OS X, be it in the form of a clone, or from Apple itself.

And that's my 2 cents 4 this, Wednesday, April 16, 2008.

Foot note: Philip, in his blog, "FixYourThinking," also has a very interesting theory, on this subject, that you can read here.

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Psystar Mac Clone: Good or Bad?

Many are reporting and giving their 2 cents on Psystar's cheap Mac clone called the Open Computer, or Open Mac, and this includes just about everyone from the main tech press, blogs and and those posting on forums, etc.

Tom Reestman, writing in his blog, one of my all time favorites, The Small Wave points out that the Psystar clone may not be quite the deal that some make it out to be.

What grabs most people's attention, naturally, is the low $399 entry price for the base configuration, and especially as it compares to the Mac Mini. However, as Tom correctly points out, this does not include the price of OS X itself, and without OS X, well, you just don't have a Mac! If you want to run Leopard then you either have to buy it and install it separately, through some hacking process, or you can purchase it pre-installed for an extra $155. When you factor in the cost of Leopard and that fact that it will cost you an extra $50 for Firewire, then it's NOT half the cost of a Mac Mini, or as cheap as they want you to believe it is. And then there's the question of support, which as Tom also pointed out, is rather questionable at best?

In a post by Gordon Haff comes this very interesting observation:

"Are any possible savings worth getting a PC/OS combo that the OS maker won't support? (Not from where I sit.) Does PsyStar have the right to pre-install an OS for which it (apparently) doesn't have an OEM license? (Seems dicey.)"

Now that is a very valuable point, and I too must agree, it's really isn't something that's worth it in the end. Yes, I suppose, if you had problems with any future OS X update, then you could always scrub it and install a Linux distro instead, or heaven's forbid, you always could even install Vista if and when OS X stopped working on your unsupported machine; but what's the point of buying a computer to run OS X if you not sure you will even be able to run it in the future? Apple has been around along time and, will mostly likely, still be around for a long to help support you, but how long Psystar will be around is questionable, and especially so with a gargantuan corporation like Apple legally breathing down it's neck? After all, it's the, "It Just Works," nature of OS X, and it's simplicity and ease of use that makes people want to use the Mac in the first place.

Naturally, Psystar thinks that they not only have the legal right to abuse Apple's EULA, but they actually claim that Apple is acting illegally and is acting in a monopolistic way by not allowing others to do as they please with OS X! These are very bold claims to make indeed, and if they wish to prove their point then they better have some deep pockets. Very, very deep pockets indeed.

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes, writing for ZDNet Wrote:

"What’s far more likely to happen is that Apple takes the same approach as with the iPhone and release updates that would trash these installations. Not nice, but as we saw with unlocked iPhones, Apple is not above this kind of behavior. However, if Psystar continues to offer OS X, a cease and desist letter can’t be that far in the future."

That too, I believe is a good point and a very possible scenario. Apple spent many years and billions of of it's dollars to develop a Mac OS X ecosystem, and after nuturing it from infancy I find it little disgusting that anyone would think, after contributing virtually nothing to that ecosystem, that they just can walk in and do whatever they please or like with somebody's else's property, in this case Apple's OS X.

So, what do I think; what's my 2 cents on the Open Mac and Mac clones? Well, it's always nice to have choices they say, but I guess that just depends on what you call choices? Having a choice as to whether to die from a stabbing, clubbing, head kicking, gun shot, etc., certainly would be choices, but I will take none of the following thank you.

Seriously, if Apple were ever to sanction legal cloning of Mac OS X, as Dell, IBM, Gateway and others wanted, well, I guess I would be ok with that, but I'm not too sure I would be all too comfortable with it either. The main reason is simple: even if Dell, HP, Lenovo, or whom ever, had an OS X license, I'm certain that none of them could ever design, build or market a Mac the way that Apple can and does. No other company, in my humble opinion, has what it takes to create and produce a computer as stylish, elegant, easy to use and as practical as Apple has done with it's iMac's, MacBooks' and the MacPro's. Yes, I know of the Gateway One and the Dell XPS One, but they are all inspired by the iMac, otherwise I sincerely doubt if those machines would have ever seen the light of day.

Because they build the whole widget, the OS and the hardware, Apple has been able to give it's users something that, up to now, no other computer OEM has ever been able to deliver - a system that is maximized to work together seamlessly and intuitively as the Mac. Psystar cannot claim such no matter what price they put on their machine.

As tempting as a very low cost Mac clone might sound, if it isn't legal, or if you have to hack and worry about a host of problems as you do with the OpenMac, then I say no thanks; I would much rather pay a little more for the real McCoy and the freedom from quilt and the assurance that my Mac really is a Mac, and that it would be guaranteed to work like one, not only now, but also in the future as well.

Psyster's unsupported clone is a bet, and a bet that I wouldn't want to take personally. The OpenMac from Psystar may be cheap - but the quality and peace of mind that you get from a genuine Apple Mac is priceless! Absolutely priceless!


And that's my 2 cents 4 this, Tuesday, April 15, 2008.

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So, Just What Makes Apple So Trend Setting?

Eric Benderoff, writing for the Chicago Tribune, has this to say about the MacBook Air:

"I adore Apple's MacBook Air so much I'm starting to think I can live with its shortcomings. At 3 pounds and about as thick as a weekly magazine, this is the most endearing laptop I've ever used."

Eric is not alone on this, which really surprises me, as I tended to view it much the way many did soon after the MBA was announced.  It was criticized by every body, it seemed, and yet, the little laptop that could has been proving that it can - it can still win over customers,  and customers that are buying it in droves and loving it despite what all the nay sayers had been saying.

Eric goes on to add:

"But then you pick up the Air and hold it. "Wow. This is awesome," you think. Then you fantasize how you could fit it into your computing life."

How true, as I did the very same thing when I first saw the little darling just sitting there at a local electronic shop. It didn't have all that I would have liked, but still..... it was just so darn pretty, that I was soon completely engulfed in lust, just like all of the many people who were stopped in their tracks as they walked by! You could just see their lust and desire for the thing, and especially so after they held the little precious in their hands.

Eric Bederoff isn't the only one, of course, working for a major news organization that feels the same way. I have read many such reviews, that despite all of the shortcomings of the MacBook Air, still, none-the-less, over all ended up praising it. You can Google for MacBook Air reviews, and you find that a lot of reviewers, seem to be impressed with the unit, such as Register's Hardware.


So, we all know that the MBA is sexy, but is it worthy of becoming your primary machine? Not according to most of the reviews, but that's because, as a lot of people have noted, it never was intended to be. No, this is a secondary computer, one that fits a person that is on the run a lot. A frequent traveller, for example, will really appreciated the weight, style and basic functionality that this tiny little sucker offers.

The really interesting thing about the MBA is that it seems to highlight, for me at least, that when it comes to setting trends, nobody, and I mean nobody, seems to have quite the edge that Apple does. When Apple introduced the graphical interface - the world followed; Intel might have invented USB, but it wasn't until Apple brought it to their original iMac - that the world followed; when Apple introduced CD's into computers, again - the world followed; when Apple, to much criticism, removed the floppy drive - the world again followed! Mpeg music players weren't getting much traction, until, that is, Apple introduced the iPod, then again - the world followed. After Apple introduced iTune's, well, you know the story - the world again followed in it's footsteps, and started a trend that goes on today.

So, just what is it about Apple that seems to be so trend setting? What exactly is it that makes Apple so influential and trend setting in the world of electronics, and other areas? That answer is truly the $64,000,000 question. If you can answer that then you could be on your way to earning yourself a fortune. Of course, there are many sides to this question. Some of these, I believe, are as follows:

Passion, and Apple has it in droves.

"Think Different" is an Apple slogan that has a lot to do, in fact, with Apple's success and influence. Thinking different enabled Apple to go and do things that other companies would never have thought of because it simply wasn't in their mindset.

Ability to face the truth. Yes, I remember Jobs admiting that Apple had certain (and extremely serious) problems, and by doing so and by admitting  them, well Apple was able to face them and then take the necessary steps to address them. One problem that comes to mind was that Apple had to many things on the burner, all which tended to sap the direction of the company, such as the ill fated Newton - the world's first hand held device of it's kind. 

Innovation. Ah, now this is a biggy, and it's the very DNA and bloodline of Apple. Apple just exudes innovation in just about every direction in which you may wish to look, as is evident by the MacBook Air itself and many other Apple products and services.

Great employees. This is another biggy and one that Jobs has stated and given much of the credit for in Apple's amazing comeback.

Leadership, leadership as exemplified by Steve Jobs himself. Yes, it is leadership, after all, when it's all said and done, that brings all of the points above and allows them to work together to produce the business and marketing miracle that is known today as Apple Inc. After all, before Steve Jobs returned to Apple, it basically had all of the above factors already in place, just minus the leadership. Once Apple regained that leadership the world was left to witness a very obvious fact - that great leadership is crucial to any successful business, or for that matter, to just about anything else in life.

Apple, like all companies, organizations and individuals, is not perfect, and by no means does Apple's past or current success guarantee it's future success. However, as long as Apple continues to "Think Different," as it has shown with the MacBook Air, then I think it's safe to say that Apple will continue to mold future trends and it's influence will remain, and no doubt, grow to an even larger extent than it is today. If it doesn't Apple, will, like many great companies of the past, simply fade off into the sunset. In fact, it almost did - and not that long ago!

Let's hope not; let's hope that Apple will continue to apply the principles that has made it so great, because if it does, it will not only continue to influence and set new future trends, but in doing so, it will end up benefiting all of us, be we Apple users or not.

And that's my 2 cents 4 this first post of the week, Monday, April 14, 2008.

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Nokia's iPhone Killer - NOT!

Despite saying that the iPhone was in no way a threat to Nokia, or any of the other big boys of cellular, it is amusing to see just how these "iPhone trash talking" companies seem to bending over backwards to come up with an iPhone killer themselves. Interesting too is how these iPhone killers all seem to resemble the same basic form, style and function of the iPhone.

So, just how much of a threat are these iPhone wannabe's to Apple's original anyway? Well, some of them are pathetic, especially those unbelievably Chinese direct knock offs, but others are certainly much more interesting, as is the case with Nokia's so called killer codenamed the "Tube".

Off the bat, the "Tube," for one, has a full haptic touch screen, which gives one the allusion of using a regular keyboard to the touch. Touching a letter, for example, gives a mild electrical shock that gives the impression, through the sense of touch, it's a real keypad. This a very nice touch and one that I hope Apple will quickly copy in some form or another. Nokia's so called iPhone killer also has much more going for it connectivity wise. It comes with WiFi, HSDPA, Bluetooth and Edge support, and if that's not all, there is real GPS capability built right into the unit as well. Way to go Nokia!

So again, is the Tube, or any of the other's copy cats, really a threat to the iPhone? Well, I guess that would be who you talk to, but for me, I think it is something that Apple has to keep it's eyes on, as they do with the rest of the competition. Nokia's Tube, or what ever it ends up being called, uses Nokia's Symbian Series 60 platform, which is nice, but not as nice as Apple's OS X based iPhone. The iPhone uses a real and proven computer OS in which to operate the phone and, as such, it allows the iPhone the luxury of doing pretty much what any laptop or desktop can do: run lots and lots of software. It's secure and from some of the software that I have seen running on the iPhone, both before the SDK, and after it was released, it is nothing short of spectacular! The real iPhone is more about software than hardware , and as such even the oldest iPhone can become a new one simply by downloading a patch, or firmware update!

So far, in a very short period, the iPhone has done extremely well and it has to be remembered that it's only Apple's very first model and it's very first attempt as a cell phone provider. Already Palm has taken a direct hit because of the iPhone, but as others point out, it also has a lot to do with Palm itself - it hasn't released a new operating system in over five years - an eternity in the world of electronics!

As you can see in the above photo, the "Tube" looks like the iPhone, so much so, in fact, that if you quickly glance at it, you would have thought it was the real thing. The screen on the "Tube" is actually a little larger than the iPhone, where as the phone itself is a little bit smaller, a real plus in my book.

One thing interesting, that Symbianfreak.com points out, is this little gem:

"One more thing, NO, there is no multi touch and YES there is tactility feedback!"

Now this is interesting, as some sites on the web give you the impression that the "Tube" is a multi-touch device - but it's not! So, this is a big, big drawback for the "Tube", or any other phone that wishes to go up against the iPhone! The tactility, or haptic feedback feature, however, is a major win for Nokia. I'm surprised that Apple never thought of that one before.

So, in conclusion, will the competition, Nokia or otherwise, kill off the iPhone? Nope, not from what I have seen thus far, but it's deserves repeating that all of these worthy competitors need watching. These are all capable companies with huge R&D budgets and competent engineers who only have to watch what Apple does first, for inspiration, to know what to do second.

The Nokia "Tube" will sell well, as will many of the other iPhone wannabe's, and partly in part, because of people who want an iPhone, but, for what ever reason, such as Apple's high prices, etc., can not actually acquire one. Some of these iPhone killers are equal to it, and in a few areas, actually better than the iPhone, but, in the end, the iPhone's interface and features surpasses them all because of it's usability - it's so easy, so intuitive, convenient and fun to use, that it will be hard, very hard, for anyone to kill off the iPhone anytime soon.

And that's my 2 cents 4 this last post of the week, Friday, April 11, 2008.

Photo credit: Symbianfreak.com

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We Need; We Want, A High-End Mac Gaming Computer - Where Are They?

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes, writing for ZDNet, recently did a post that he titled: "Where are Apple's high-end gaming Macs?"

This is a good question, indeed, and one I that I often personally asked myself. As Adrian points out:

"If you didn’t already know, allow me to let you in on a secret. Gaming is a very lucrative sector for both component manufacturers and OEMs. Markups are still very comfortable on pretty much anything labeled as gaming. Gaming equals high-end, and high-end means high prices and good profits. In many ways this is an ideal market for Apple to go after, so why hasn’t it?"

Personally, I think he is right - Apple really needs a good gaming system and one that doesn't just equal those in the world of Window based PC machines, but one that actually goes beyond them, if at all possible. Certainly, of course, one can run games on the existing range of Macs, but not in the way that most serious gammers would like. As Adrian points out, gaming is big business and if anybody could make such a machine, I think it an innovative company like Apple - as they are super great at making both computers and money, and lots of it, I might add.

Adrian pointed out that most games are now developed for the Window PC's, but I say, considering how the Mac is selling like hot cakes these days, and how developers are now flocking to the Mac more than ever, developers wouldn't need, in my humble opinion, much arm twisting to start developing Mac specific games.

Already Electronic Art and other big time developers are looking to the Mac and developing versions of their games for it. Even though not technically written from the ground up for the Mac, they are, non-the-less, producing them in ever greater numbers, though they rely a lot on virtulization technology to get the job done.

Virtualization is a good a start, but hardly the best way to play games, as serious gamers will tell you. They demand more, and Mac users, frankly, deserve more. Gaming tends to push both the software and hardware design envelope, something that usually trickles down and ends up benefiting all computer users. A high-end Mac gaming machine would also give Apple not only a chance to capture more of the significant and growing market share that the gaming offers, but also a chance for Apple to really show it's stuff, to really create something more compelling than just a great multi-media machine, something that the Mac is now.

I agree with Mr. Hughes that Apple should add a really good and dedicated gaming mother board, however, I'm not quite sure that I agree on Apple adding an Assus motherboard, because, as great as they are, I believe Apple has the ability to create something better than Assus, or anybody else for that matter. I want to see Apple design it's own gaming motherboards, because, as usually is the case with Apple, it usually ends up doing the ordinary in an extraordinary way, and gaming motherboards, etc., should be no different.

So, in conclusion, I must say that even though I'm not a gamer myself, I would very much love to see Apple come out with a true and dedicated high-end gaming rig, but when it comes to Adrian's question: "Where are Apple's high-end gaming Macs?", only Apple can answer that.

Hopefully, Apple will soon answer with a high-end Mac gaming rig, and one that will not only blow our minds, but also gaming aliens, and what not, completely out of the water!

And that's my 2 cents 4 this Thursday, April 10, 2008.

Photo credit: ZDNet

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iPhone Soon 4 Australia; Canadian iPhone?

It seems that Australia is about to get the iPhone come this June according to some reports, but the question for me and many, many, more and more, impatient Canadians, is when will the iPhone ever become available in Canada?

It seems strange that Canada, which shares the longest undefended border in the world with the U.S., should have to wait so long for the iPhone while other nations thousands of miles across the big blue ocean now have the luxury of doing so.

Meanwhile, Appleinsider is also reporting:

"Though somewhat suspect, the report adds that the touch-screen handset will arrive unlocked for use on many of the nation's wireless carriers and that Australian Apple resellers, unlike those in the US and Europe, will be privy to market the device to their customers."

Such an unlocked iPhone, like above, would bring some hope to us Canadians, as would the G3 capabilities of the soon expected iPhone 2, because an unlocked 3G phone would free us from the need to use Rogers Communications. As it stands now, Rogers is the only company in the country that can handle the present iPhone. However, a G3 enhanced iPhone could easily be handled by any of Rogers competitors. Especially, if the iPhone could indeed come unlocked, then finally, maybe, at long last, we Canadians will have a slimmer of hope of getting our eager hands on the Jesus phone, and maybe even come this June as Walt Mossberg suggested.

I'm not sure what is holding up Apple in bringing the iPhone to Canada, but some are speculating that one of the biggest reasons with Rogers Communications might be that Apple can't get them to agree with lowering their traditionally high data rates, something that Apple demands the iPhone's come with? Personally, I remember that when I had a Rogers mobile account it wasn't very long before I canceled the extra data services as they were indeed really, really sky high. After paying $4 apiece for three or four games, Rogers gave me a $34 downloading bill which got my blood boiling to the point.... well, you get the picture!

So, in conclusion, let me say that I really hope that our Australian cousins soon get the iPhone and, hopefully, one that comes unlocked. However, let me add that I hope that we Canadians soon get the same privilege too. I, like many suffering Canadians, can only hope and pray so - because, trust me, there are a lot of us Canadians, myself included, that would really, really, and I mean... really, really, really LOVE to get our hands on an iPhone.

Come on Apple and send a little LOVE our way; give us what we want - an unlocked G3 iPhone, and like really, really soon!

Oh, by the way, did I mention that I mean - like really, really, really, really..... SOON!

And that's my 2 cents 4 this Wednesday, April 9, 2008.

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On Apple: Notes Worth Noting!

Today, I found several notes worth noting. The first concerns the iTune store, which is dropping and updating seven games. These include iQuiz, Lost, Mahjong, Musika, Royal Solitaire, Vortex and an updated version of Mini Golf. By the way, it's worth noting, that both Vortex and iQuiz now come pre-installed on all new iPod Nanos and Classics.

An even more important note concerns Firewire and this one could be a big! Macworld has noted that Symwave has demonstrated that it's FirePHY-1600 can double the transfer rates of existing Firewire devices to a whopping 1.6 gigabite per second! Wow, now that is what I call fast; imagine downloading 1,000 4-megapixel photos in a mere five seconds flat! This would be especially great for making backups of one drive to another. Symwave is seeding samples to manufactures now and will demonstrate their FirePhy-1600 at a 1394 event in Shenzhen, China sometime later this week. I'm looking forward to learning more on this one.

In another note, it seems that the iPhone has achieved an incredible mind share among the citizens of the great nation of China. Macworld has also noted, in a recent post, that an incredible 68% of that country's huge population already knows of the iPhone, and that a further 88 % of iPod owners there indicated that they would like to have an iPhone. This, naturally, has spawned a robust black market in iPhones in a country that manufactures them, but oddly enough, does not officially sell them there as yet. Also, a steady stream of rip off iPhone's from rogue manufactures are flourishing because of the device's huge popularity. Some of these rip offs are really good - so good, in fact, that they are almost indistinguishable from the real thing. This could be a golden opportunity for Apple if they can only officially start selling them.

Regarding the new game offerings from the iTune store, well, as welcome as they are, they are only a drop in the bucket of what we can expect to see added in the near future, all in thanks to the iPhone's SDK. Not only is the iPod/iPhone about to be swamped with a virtual deluge of games, but I think many of these games, as already demonstrated, will be of a much higher quality than the any of the games now offered. Trust me, as far as gaming goes, we haven't seen anything yet..

On doubling the transfer rate of Firewire, it goes without saying, you can never argue with the fact that faster is always better when it comes to transferring digital content. The idea of being able to back up huge files quickly, on the fly, is something that we can all cheer about. No matter how fast technology brings something to market, before we know it, it soon seems to bog down and slows to a crawl. When it comes to more speed - I say bring it on baby! Why, it seems just like yesterday that I was enthralled by the huge speed increases that was offered by the floppy disk over that of the cassette tape method! Boy, am I getting old, or what?

Mind share is something that companies pay big bucks to achieve, and so it goes without saying that the iPhone gaining an impressive 68%, in such a short time, of the mind share of the huge Chinese market, is nothing short of mind blowing and bodes well for the iPhone in China, when or if it goes officially on sale there. But then again, the iPhone itself is an impressive and incredible piece of technology that has already, since it's unveiling, completely change the course of the entire mobile industry.

It seems like a daily thing to note that yet another company is coming out with an iPhone knock off that they hope, in turn, will knock the iPhone from off of it's lofty perch. So far, they have all come up short, but they have, none-the-less, come out with some pretty cool stuff, all inspired directly by the iPhone. However, if Apple does what Apple does best - innovates - then they, the competition, may never be quite cool enough to topple the iPhone from it's perch, now will they.


And that's my 2 cents 4 this Tuesday, April 8, 2008.

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