Apple Archive

"An Intel-based iBook has been widely trailed to be unveiled next week. If you're anticipating speeds and feeds ahead of next week's keynote, we'll have to disappoint you. But sources close to Apple suggest that the many in the rumor mill have failed to illuminate the bigger picture - a strategy to makeover the iBook as a cut-price bait to lure switchers, with price points much lower than Apple has ever risked for a portable machine. In many ways, the strategy is risky, but with rival PC notebook laptop prices in freefall - Dell today offers a $499 notebook - Apple may not have any choice but to embrace it."

Paul Thurrot continues losing his religion by switching his wife to the Mac: "This conversion deserves a bit of background. I am, as you might know, one of the more prominent Windows-based writers on the Web. This simple fact makes the notion that I'd buy a Mac for my wife seems like an April Fools joke, I know. But the truth is, I've owned one or more Macs since summer 2005, and I'm a big fan of Mac OS X, albeit one who is perhaps more honest about the system's shortcomings than the typical Mac fanatic. That said, Apple's computer systems are viable for a wide range of users, including graphic artists, photographers, and other creative types. And a truly simple system like the Mac mini is perfect for the mass market, those people who simply need email, Web access, and word processing."

"There can be no doubt that 2005 was a stellar year for Apple. From record-breaking quarterly financial reports and the release of Mac OS X Tiger to the announced transition of the Macintosh to the Intel platform and new iPods, Apple fired on all cylinders throughout much of the year, creating unprecedented demand for many of its products." Update: Here are photos of the cooling system for the Quad-core PowerMac-- one of those could counteract global warming. Seriously.

The omnipresent 'sources' of AppleInsider have told the rumoursite that Apple has 'outsourced' the design of the next PowerMac's motherboard to Intel. "In a move that may surprise some Apple watchers, reliable sources tell AppleInsider the Mac maker has contracted the design duties for its next-generation Power Mac motherboard over to industry heavyweight Intel. With Apple moving aggressively to introduce four Intel-based Mac models in the first four months of 2006 - iMacs, 15-inch PowerBooks, 13-inch widescreen iBooks and Mac minis - resources at the company's engineering labs have worn thin, sources said." Judge for yourself.

"One can't wander through the aisles of an electronics retailer or down the hallways of an office without walking past any number of PCs with Intel Inside stickers. As a brand-building endeavor, Intel Inside has been a success by any definition. With the first Intel-powered Macintosh computers expected to be introduced at Macworld San Francisco next month, some are wondering if Apple's machines will bear the mark of the CPU beast."

"Apple really is is the better way, but why? No, not for the trendy industrial design, not for the OS, not for the CPU, but for the money. It charges quite a bit, but it is not the 'reassuringly expensive' factor either, the price/performance is nothing to brag about. What makes Apple better is quite simply the fact that it doesn't compete."

Because of the amount of controversy its review of Aperture received, Ars Technica have posted a follow-up to address some of the issues which were raised by readers. It includes a side-by-side comparison of Apple's RAW importer with those of Capture One Pro and Adobe, which illustrates the difference in quality.

The company expressed concern that to the extent its minority market share has caused software developers to question Apple's prospects in the PC space, developers could be less inclined to develop software for Apple products, and instead feel more inclined to devote their resources to developing software for the larger Windows market or growing Linux market. Here is the 10-K form in question.

Is Apple planning to unveil a robust new content distribution system in January at Macworld Expo alongside its revamped media-savvy Mac mini? apparantly Think Secret believes they are going to do just that. The new content system and related media deals, which will include feature-length content, expanded televisions offerings, and more, will further cement Apple's increasing lead in digital media delivery.Apple's new technology will deliver content such that it never actually resides on the user's hard drive. Content purchased will be automatically made available on a user's iDisk, which Front Row 2.0 will tap into.

Apple's Mac mini will be reborn as the digital hub centerpiece it was originally conceived to be, sources have disclosed. The new Mac mini project, code-named Kaleidoscope, will feature an Intel processor and include both Front Row 2.0 and TiVo-like DVR functionality. While the specific model and speed of the Intel processor in the new Mac mini is unknown, sources are confident the system will be ready for roll-out at Macworld Expo San Francisco, in line with other reports Think Secret has received that Intel-based Macs will be ready some six months sooner than originally expected.

"Yesterday, I had an hour to work with Apple's new Power Mac Quad G5, and for anyone in the broadcast, sciences, music, print and photography industries, I have some advice: Place your orders now!"

The same sources that correctly predicted the Mac Mini and the photo iPod, have now confirmed that Apple will release an Intel-based iBook in January 2006, 6 months ahead of schedule. These new iBooks will most likely use Intel's forthcoming Yonah processors, and will be priced as much as $200,- (E170,-) lower than current offerings.

I recently bought one of the new dual core PowerMacs. Having used the machine for a couple of weeks, I thought I would share some of my observations and feelings about it. First, let me get my biases out in the open. I have, for about four years, very happily used Linux on my desktop. Doing so has made me very comfortable with the UNIX environment in general, and with GNOME specifically. During that time, I have used OS X machines on a regular basis, so I am quite comfortable in that environment as well. Since I switched to Linux, I have not used Windows for anything more than the occasional bit of software testing or lab work, and generally feel quite uncomfortable with it. Thus, this article is very much written from the perspective of someone who finds OS X and Linux pleasing on principle. I implore the reader to make his own value judgments based on my comments.

This article discusses the changed environment since Apple first introduced the clones, what new challenges Apple faces going forward, specifically in the corporate market, and how a targeted Apple clone market could help increase OS X's market share.