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Software
News & Opinion
Explosive Mac Sales and High Leopard Ratings
ChangeWave's
Jim Woods and Paul Carton report:
"Nobody ever said Apple Mac users were a patient lot. But the
waiting is over for the Leopard operating system - and judging by
ChangeWave's latest consumer survey, Mac buyers found it well worth the
wait.
"To gauge the initial reaction to Leopard and to take a fresh look
at the ongoing slugfest between Apple, Dell and Hewlett-Packard, we
surveyed ChangeWave Alliance consumers the week of January 2-8. A total
of 4,604 participated.
"Here's what we found:
"Apple Mac Sales Skyrocket
"Past 90 Days: Consumer sales of Apple laptops (17%; up 3-pts) and
desktops (16%; up 6-pts) took an astonishing leap over the
holidays...."
Link:
Survey Shows Explosive Apple Mac Sales and High Leopard Ratings
Mac OS X 10.5.2 Update to Bring Endless List of
Fixes
MacScoop
says:
"During the Macworld SF, Apple has quietly seeded to developers a
new build of the Mac OS X Leopard 10.5.2 update numbered 9C16. The
seed-note lists an endless list of enhancements in almost any part of
the system.
"According to the seed-note, the update 'focuses' (if we may call
this focusing) on, Active Directory/Directory Services, AirPort,
AppKit, Application, Firewall, Audio, Automator, Back To My Mac,
Chinese Input Methods, CoreData, CoreFoundation, Dashboard Widgets,
Data Detectors, Directory Services, Dock, Finder, Foundation, Grammar
Checking, Graphics Drivers, High Level Toolbox, iCal, iChat, iDisk,
Keyboard Layouts, Mail, Networking, Parental Controls, Podcast
Producer, Printing/CUPS, Quick Look, Rosetta, Safari, SMB, Spotlight,
SQLite, Terminal, Time Machine, X11....
"New issues fixed in this seed, as listed on the seed-note, are the
following.... [Very long list. cm]
"This clearly represents by far the most significant revision update
Apple has ever made on any of its operating systems with nearly 40
Applications involved and 100 bugs fixed. The only bad news is that the
update weights as much as, hold your breathe . . . over 400
MB, a record size which could even grow further in the final
build."
Link:
Mac OS X 10.5.2 Update to Bring Endless List of Fixes
Mac OS Eating Linux Desktop's Lunch
ZD Net blogger Paul Murphy
says:
"One side effect of Linux marketing by Red Hat and others has been
the widespread belief that people transitioning from expensive old Unix
servers running on proprietary chipsets to Linux on x86 do so mainly to
get Linux. I don't believe that; on the contrary I think that most
people assume x86 based hardware and then choose among available
operating systems capable of running their applications mainly on cash
cost, old antagonisms, recent disappointments, and their beliefs about
how others will view each choice....
"With that in mind I want to venture a total speculation: that the
same forces have created a situation in which Mac OS really has started
to eat the Linux desktop lunch....
"Experience - Around our house, we have screens connected to Windows
XP, OS X, and Ubuntu GNU/Linux. Ubuntu and OS X are easier to install,
less trouble to maintain, and more pleasant to use. If we were tracking
the time we spend maintaining these things, I'm willing to bet that
Windows takes more care & feeding than the other two put together.
Down the road we'll have Windows only for games, I think....
"We also provide tech support for our mothers, a local Pilates
studio, and various random friends, local and remote. Wherever we can,
we're steering them to OS X just because they'll experience less pain
and be more productive...
"These days, when you live mostly on OS X & Ubuntu, XP is just
incredibly irritating...."
Link: Mac OS Eating
Linux Desktop's Lunch
Refurbed Mac Pro Not Such a Bargain
Hardmac's
Lionel reports:
"If we like to proclaim the bargains from the Refurb shop, we must
also point out when something isn't as cheap as it may seem."
Link: Refurbed Mac Pro: Not
Such a Bargain
Is Photoshop Elements Just Photoshop with a Big
Discount?
Mac 360's Wil
Gomez says:
"I'm a long time heavy user of Adobe's Photoshop, but I tried out
the $89 Photoshop Elements 6 just to see the difference between
Elements and the full on version of Photoshop.
"Is Photoshop Elements 6 for the Mac just a stripped down version of
Photoshop, or does it offer most of Photoshop's capability at a huge
discount?
"Photoshop Elements 6 for Mac users won't ship until sometime in
March. From what we've been able to see of Elements, it will be worth
the wait. If you have not upgraded to the full version of Photoshop and
you're not a power user on steroids, Elements is a bargain at $89, even
more so with the upgrade price of $69. ...The full version retail price
of Photoshop CS3 is about $600."
Link:
Is PS Elements Just Photoshop with a Big Discount?
Tutorial: Build a Hackintosh for Under a Grand
MacApper's
Darwinian says:
"I was a bit hesitant about writing this article but the information
(and results) are just too juicy not to give away. Half way through
penning this I also noticed that Adam Pash at lifehacker did a similar
story so I guess it's acceptable to write about this sort of thing -
and it should be. In case you haven't guessed yet I'm going to detail
for you my adventure building a Hackintosh box running Leopard that
rivals the speed of a similarly configured Mac Pro.
"But for less than 1/3rd the cost!
"You might want to grab a coffee as this tutorial is quite large. It
was also designed with both the novice and newbie in mind, and
therefore is full of plenty of screenshots to help you along.
"Disclaimer: Please note that I am not interested at all in cries of
software piracy or license misuse involved with using a patched Leopard
DVD to run OS X on a PC. I have bought more than my share of Jaguar,
Tiger and now Leopard software to really have much of a problem with
it. If I am making you queasy already then you might want to read
Apple's OS X SLA and go back to watching Cosby Show reruns with your
sister."
Link:
DIY Hackintosh Tutorial: Build a Mac Pro for Cheap
MacSpeech to Bring NaturallySpeaking Capabilities
to Mac OS X
MacUser's
Aayush Arya reports:
"Nuance Communications, makers of the reputable Dragon
NaturallySpeaking, has signed a licensing agreement with MacSpeech
which allows the latter to integrate the Windows application's advanced
speech recognition capabilities into their new product, Dictate.
MacSpeech has decided to halt development of their other speech
recognition product, iListen, and customers of the company who had
bought iListen in the past are being offered substantial discounts on
the retail price ($199) of MacSpeech Dictate...."
Link: MacSpeech
to Bring Dragon NaturallySpeaking's Capabilities to Mac OS X
NewerTech Guardian Maximus Wins 2008 Macsimum
Macworld Award
PR: "Live Activity" RAID Backup Honored for speed and design
by Macsimum News site, online expert on all things Mac
Newer Technology, Inc. (NewerTech) has announced that the Guardian
MAXimus, the first low-cost FireWire and USB 2.0 External RAID-1
storage for consumers and professionals, was named as a winner in the
prestigious 2008 Macsimum Macworld Awards. The award was presented
January 17 as part of the 24th Annual Macworld Expo & Conference,
held January 14-18, at the Moscone Center, San Francisco.
The 3rd
Annual Macsimum Macworld Awards recognized companies that brought the
best of the best to Macworld. In its awards announcement, the Macsimum
News site called NewerTech's Guardian MAXimus, "the fastest drive with
the biggest oomph in the smallest form we've seen." Macsimum News site
founder Dennis Sellers added, "We found the Guardian MAXimus offered
the best performance and most power for its size." "We are pleased to
receive the recognition for the Guardian MAXimus" said NewerTech
President Larry O'Connor. "Bringing high quality products like this to
the Mac community is what NewerTech is all about, and we will continue
to do so."
The NewerTech Guardian MAXimus 2008 Macsimum Macworld Award comes
straight off the heels of the Guardian MAXimus being honored as a
Finalist in the Storage Visions 2008 Awards, announced last week at
2008 Consumer Electronics Show. The Guardian MAXimus was honored at
that time for advancing the state of the art in storage technologies
utilized in consumer electronics, the media and entertainment
industries, and visionary products for the digital content value
chain.
The Guardian MAXimus RAID-1 mirror storage solution is a Plug and
Play "Live Activity" backup solution for creative professionals. Always
guarding against data loss and costly system downtime, Guardian MAXimus
writes the same information in real-time to two separate drives for a
"mirrored" copy. With up to 1.0 TB dual SATA drives, data transfer
rates of up to 100 MB/s, OS X Leopard Time Machine readiness, and
FireWire 800/400 and USB 2.0 ports, Guardian MAXimus offers the
ultimate in performance, flexibility, and reliability for critical data
backup.
Guardian MAXimus - Winner of Numerous Awards
In addition to the 2008 Macsimum Macworld Award and Storage Visions
2008 Finalist Award honors, the NewerTech Guardian MAXimus has also
received numerous awards and accolades since it was introduced in May
2007, including awards from: The Mac Observer; MyMac.com; American
Photo; and Photoshop User magazine. In awarding Guardian MAXimus its
top Five Star Rating in the December 2007 issue, Photoshop User said,
"Easy to use, incredibly fast, and offers a lot of space for the price
... the perfect space-to-speed ratio that's so important to graphics
professionals, digital photographers, and designers."
Guardian MAXimus is available immediately in seven preconfigured
solutions, from 250 GB to 1 TB, priced starting at $319.99 MSRP
from NewerTech's exclusive distributor, Other World Computing, as well
as through the retail channel. The 0 GB "Add Your Own Drives" kit
is also available for $149.99 MSRP. Guardian MAXimus is compatible with
Apple OS 8.6 to 9.2.2, OS X 10.1.x and later (10.2 or later required
for FW800 and USB 2.0), and Windows ME and later operating systems. It
includes ProSoft Engineering Data Backup 3, NovaStor NovaBACKUP, and
Intech SpeedTools Utilities software (a $200 retail value).
Guardian MAXimus Features:
- Up to 1.0 TB dual-drive solution
- Up to 64 MB of drive cache (32 MB per drive)
- Custom Oxford 924 based bridge solution
- 2 FireWire 800 9 pin ports
- 1 FireWire 400 6 pin port
- 1 USB 2.0 "B" port - backwards compatible with USB 1.1
- Front panel drive status LEDs
- Quiet operation
- 9.3" x 2.8" x 5.6" size, shock-resistant for maximum
portability
- US/International 90~240V 4.2A UL- listed power supply
- 36" FireWire 800, FireWire 400, and USB 2.0/1.1 double shielded
connecting cables included
- Compatible with Apple OS 8.6 to 9.2.2, OS X 10.1.x and later (10.2
or later required for FW800 and USB 2.0), and Windows ME and later
operating systems. Includes ProSoft Engineering Data Backup 3, NovaStor
NovaBACKUP, and Intech SpeedTools Utilities software (a $200 retail
value)
Link: Guardian
MAXimus
Reviews
Mac Pro 3.2 GHz 'Harpertown' versus Other Mac
Towers
Bare Feats'
rob-ART Morgan reports:
"We just received our new 8-core
Mac Pro 3.2 GHz 'Harpertown' on Monday, January 14th. We've
compared it to other 'pro' Mac towers....
"Though the core frequency gain of the 3.2 GHz 'Harpertown' is only
6.7% compared to the 3.0 GHz 'Clovertown,' the speed advantage in the
tests ranged from 12% to 24%. That shows what a faster frontside bus
and faster memory bus brings to the party."
Link: Mac Pro 3.2 GHz
'Harpertown' versus Other Mac Towers
Products
iTornado, the First 'No Software to Load' Device
for Transferring Files Between PCs and Macs
PR: Providing a seamless solution to the challenge of
transferring files from one computer to another, regardless of whether
either machine is a PC or a Mac, Data Drive Thru introduced iTornado at
the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show. The device is the ultimate
accessory for those replacing old computers, or switching between
operating systems from Windows to Mac or Mac to Windows, that need to
move their files of all types, including documents, music and pictures
to their new Mac or PC.
iTornado is a file transfer micro computer that connects to two
computers in a matter of seconds simply by plugging the retractable USB
cables into the USB ports of each computer without the need to load any
software.
"Our research shows that each day as many as 14,000 computer users
worldwide switch to Macs from PCs when purchasing a new machine. This
underscores the tremendous need and market for a quick and easy file
transfer solution between the two systems," said Paul L. Andrus,
Founder and CEO of Data Drive Thru. "We've solved the problem using our
patented NSTL Technology. The 'universal' nature of iTornado makes it
an indispensable tool for use in the home or offices of any size."
When connected to the USB ports of two computers, iTornado
immediately initiates a peer-to-peer network via its patented No
Software To LoadTM, or NSTL Technology, which auto-loads and auto-runs
the software and drivers needed to move the data bi-directionally from
one computer to another via a user-friendly split-screen display that
within seconds appears on the monitor of both machines showing the
contents of each machine. From this interface, files can be dragged and
dropped from one machine to another at speeds of up to 25 Mb/sec. The
iTornado also can be used to quickly create back-up files and is
compatible with most Apple® and Microsoft operating system
programs.
"Our original award winning PC-to-PC file transfer product we
introduced last year, The Tornado, received rave reviews from
end-users, computer experts and press for its ease-of-use, reliability
and moderate cost," said Clint Hughes, Vice President of Marketing for
Data Drive Thru. "iTornado, which extends the use of this tool to work
with any two computers - PC or Mac - makes a world class file transfer
solution even better. There are other exciting features being built
inside the NSTL platform that will be soon unveiled to make life even
easier for PC and Mac users."
iTornado, which retails for $79.95 will start shipping in March and
will be available at TheTornado.com and at computer products retailers
nationwide. Like The Tornado, iTornado comes with a separate bonus copy
of PC Eraser that can clean files from Windows based PC computers to US
Government Department of Defense standards allowing consumers to
dispose of or donate their old computer free of the fear of their
personal files falling int o the hands of identity thieves.
Link: The Tornado
Eye-Fi Offers Wireless Photo Delivery to
iPhoto and Support for Leopard and Safari
PR: Eye-Fi, makers of the world's first wireless memory card
for digital cameras, today announced new capabilities for Mac users,
including wireless photo uploads directly into iPhoto and support for
Safari and Leopard. This week, Eye-Fi will be demonstrating the Eye-Fi
Card at booth number 1338 at the Macworld Conference and Expo in San
Francisco.
Photos shouldn't be trapped
in your camera. Set them free.
The Eye-Fi Card is a wireless memory card. It automatically uploads
pictures from your digital camera to your PC or Mac and to your
favorite photo sharing, printing, blogging or social networking
site.
No cables, no waiting, no hassles.
Yes, there really is WiFi inside that tiny little card. We think
it's going to change the way people take, save and share photos.
The Eye-Fi Card comes with everything needed to make it simple to
set up and connect to your home WiFi network. After that, pop the card
into your digital camera and start capturing those memories. It stores
pictures like a regular SD card no matter where you are, and uploads
your photos automatically as soon as you return to your home network.
All you have to do is turn the camera on.
The Eye-Fi Card allows users to wirelessly and automatically send
photos directly from their digital camera to their Mac or favorite
online photo sharing site using their home WiFi network. The new
downloadable Mac upgrade will enable iPhoto to automatically import
photos uploaded wirelessly to the Mac, eliminating a manual process and
saving iPhoto users time. In addition to iPhoto, Eye-Fi users can
upload to any one of 19 leading online photo sharing, printing, social
networking or blogging sites.
The Mac upgrade will also allow Mac users to use the Safari 3
browser to access the Web-based Eye-Fi Manager for managing card
settings and upload preferences. And, it offers full Eye-Fi software
and service compatibility with the new Leopard Mac OS X (10.5). The
downloadable upgrade is free to current Eye-Fi Card users and will be
included in new Eye-Fi Cards.
"With iPhoto, Apple has made saving and managing photos a
cornerstone of the Mac experience, so adding new Mac capabilities is an
important step for Eye-Fi," said Ben Bajarin, analyst for Creative
Strategies. "This new automatic import feature for iPhoto will save
users time and hassle and deliver the seamless experience that Apple
customers demand."
"We know that Mac users especially cherish the kind of simplicity
and effortlessness we strive for. We think this is one of the reasons
the Eye-Fi Card has been so popular with Mac users," said Jef Holove,
CEO of Eye-Fi. "The Mac community is dear to us and the Mac upgrade
will give Mac and iPhoto users the very best experience when saving and
sharing their memories."
Features
- Uploads photos automatically from Eye-Fi Card inside your camera.
Built-in WiFi connects to your home network.
- Provides free and unlimited photo uploads to your computer and your
favorite photo or social networking website via the Eye-Fi Service.
Photo transmission is secure and private.
- Supports sharing and printing websites, including KODAK Gallery,
Shutterfly,
Walmart, Snapfish, Photobucket, Facebook, Webshots, Picasa
Web Albums, SmugMug, Flickr, Fotki, TypePad, VOX, dotPhoto, Phanfare,
Sharpcast, and Gallery.
- Handles full-resolution JPEG images and intelligently resizes
photos if limited by your chosen photo or social networking
website.
- Features Eye-Fi Manager for easy setup of wireless network and
photo upload preferences.
- Fits digital cameras that use SD memory cards.
- Offers 2 GB of memory to store photos on the card.
- Includes USB memory card reader to make setup easy.
Technical Specifications
- WiFi Security: Static WEP 40/104/128, WPA-PSK, WPA2-PSK
- Range: 90+ feet outdoors and 45+ feet indoors
- Storage Capacity: 2.0 GB (1 GB is defined as 10^9 Bytes)
- Power: advanced power management optimizes use of camera power
- Card Dimensions: SD standard 32mm x 24mm x 2.1mm
- Card Weight: 0.1 oz.
Requirements
- Eye-Fi Card requires Internet connection to setup and WiFi network
for wireless transfers
- Eye-Fi Card works with virtually all digital cameras accepting SD
memory cards
- Eye-Fi Card works with 802.11g, 802.11b and backwards-compatible
802.11n wireless networks
- Eye-Fi software works with Windows XP, Windows Vista, Mac OS X
(10.3 and 10.4)
- Eye-Fi software works with Internet Explorer 6 and 7 (Windows
only), Firefox 2.0 (Windows and Macintosh)
The 2 GB Eye-Fi wireless SD memory card for digital cameras
recently won the Yahoo! Tech "Last Gadget Standing" competition at the
Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The Eye-Fi Card retails for
$99.99.
Link: Eye-Fi
Software
Crucial.com Unveils New Crucial System
Scanner Tool for Mac OS
PR: Lexar Media has announced the launch of its unique
Crucial System Scanner tool for Mac OS X.
The new easy-to-use online tool scans memory-hungry Mac OS X
desktops and notebooks for hardware component information and delivers
a listing of possible memory upgrade options. The Crucial System
Scanner tool for Mac OS X is one of many user-friendly tools made
available to customers by The Memory Experts at Crucial.com.
The Crucial System Scanner tool for Mac OS X represents the first
online tool from a memory manufacturer to provide a self-help scanning
instrument exclusively for Mac users. In a few easy steps, the Crucial
System Scanner tool determines the amount of preinstalled memory and
the available memory options for maximizing the Mac's performance.
Crucial.com now not only offers an easy and reliable solution for
finding guaranteed compatible and Apple-certified RAM, but also
simplifies the process of finding the right upgrade.
"There are literally thousands of memory upgrades on the market, and
many Mac users are unsure about what type of memory is required by
their system and what is their maximum capacity. The Crucial System
Scanner tool empowers Mac users to maximize their system's performance
while saving money by doing their own upgrades," stated John Egan,
Crucial's Web Manager. "Demand for Crucial memory upgrades for Mac OS X
is rapidly growing thanks to our guarantee of reliable memory at a
competitive price point."
Link: Crucial Memory for
Macs
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