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News & Opinion
Products
Software
News & Opinion
Next-gen Macs May Have 'Something Special'
Inside
AppleInsider's
Kasper Jade says:
"A new generation of personal computers on the way from Apple Inc.
may sport some of the most significant architectural changes since the
Mac maker made the jump from PowerPC processors to those manufactured
by Intel Corp., AppleInsider has learned.
"As part of its move to Intel chips in early 2006, the
Cupertino-based company largely abandoned its practice of using custom
motherboard chipsets to support the primary CPU in its Macs. Instead,
it began to rely on slightly tweaked versions of industry-standard
chipsets offered by Intel to the broad range of PC manufacturers that
develop Intel-powered systems....
"However, with Apple striving to maintain Mac sales growth of more
than two times the industry average, it's again looking to
differentiate the architecture of its personal computer systems....
"...people familiar with these plans say an upcoming generation of
Macs, lead by a trio of redesigned notebooks, won't adopt the Montevina
chipset announced as part of Intel's Centrino 2 mobile platform earlier
this month. What's more, those same people suggest the chipset employed
by the new wave of Macs may have little or nothing to do with Intel at
all. (This should not be confused with the primary CPU, which will
continue to come from Intel.)
Link:
Apple's Next-gen Macs to Have Something Special Under the Hood
Custom Mac Chipsets Implausible
Cult-of-Mac's
Pete Mortensen says:
"...the rumor circulating through the Intertubes this week
. . . claims that Apple intends to use non-Intel silicon on
its upcoming Macs. Not for the CPU, which will remain Intel, but for
the rest of the chipset. While this rumor has slightly more credibility
than it would if Apple had not recently purchased PA Semi or if AMD and
VIA weren't pumping out chipsets like crazy. And as AppleInsider notes,
such a move could help Apple to differentiate based on silicon.
Everyone else is using Montevina, and Apple could have something
unique. It sounds like good judgment.
"Except it's a waste of time and money. Worse, it's a losing
strategy. After all, Apple doesn't need to differentiate on silicon.
Industrial design and software is enough. To read why, click
through...."
Link:
Rumors of Custom Mac Chipsets Implausible, Reflect Losing
Strategy
Can Apple Learn from Dell's Studio Hybrid?
Cult of Mac's
Craig Grannell says:
"Although once famously proud of annihilating its R&D budget, it
appears Dell is now in some cases reading from the Book of Apple, in
taking existing ideas and - at least in some ways - improving them. In
recent weeks, 
we've seen the Dell Dock, taking the UI
device from OS X that's loved and loathed in equal measure and
adding handy auto-categorization. (And, yes, I'm well aware Apple
didn't invent docks, but if you've been paying attention, that's kind
of my point.)
"However, while the Dell Dock is an interesting curiosity, the
Studio
Hybrid (depicted) is a rather more ballsy production, not only
taking on the Mac mini and Apple TV, but exposing some of the
shortcomings in Apple's range of highly consumer-oriented desktop
machines."
Editor's note: The Studio Hybrid starts as $499 with a 1.86 GHz
Pentium Dual Core CPU (we know it as Core Duo on the Mac), an 8x
SuperDrive, 1 GB of RAM (shared with video), integrated X3100
graphics, a 160 GB 5400 rpm hard drive, Windows Vista Home Basic, and
uses less than one-third as much electricity as "a typical desktop".
Dimensions are 7.75" x 2.82" x 8.33" (vs. 6.5" x 6.5" x 2.0" for the
Mac mini), and it weighs 4.8
lb. (vs. 2.9 for the Mac mini). It has one FireWire port, five USB 2.0
ports, and an HDMI video connector for digital TVs. WiFi is not a
standard feature, but it does include a mouse and keyboard.
Customization options include color, 2.0 to 2.6 GHz Core 2 Duo CPUs,
other versions of Vista, a Blu-ray drive, a Sound Blaster card, a TV
tuner and remote, a wireless keyboard and mouse, and 802.11n WiFi. No
indication on Dell's website about expansion slots or whether it uses a
notebook hard drive (probably), but Apple should take notice and update
the Mac mini in light of Dell's attention getting offering.
dk
Link:
Can Apple and the Mac mini Learn from Dell's Studio Hybrid?
Don't Call it a Mac Clone: It's a 'Multi-Platform
Desktop Computer'
PR: RSOL PC has announced the release of their low-cost Jive
Series Multi-Platform desktop computer that has been tested to be
capable of running all major operating systems like Windows XP, Windows
Vista, popular Linux distributions of Ubuntu and Fedora, and even the
modified version of Apple, Inc's OS X 10.5 Leopard, commonly known as
"OSx86". The Jive Series Multi-Platform Desktop is available for
purchase through the company's web site, and the first units are
expected to ship on or around August 8, 2008.
Inside the Jive Series computers, endusers will find
traditional PC hardware like an Intel E4600 2.4 GHz Core 2 Duo CPU with
2 MB L2 cache, a 500 GB SATA II hard drive, a 20X DVD+/-RW SATA
drive with LightScribe, 2 GB DDR2 memory (expandable to
8 GB), an Nvidia GeForce 7300GS 256 MB PCIe video card, Gigabit
ethernet, 8-channel digital audio, a USB keyboard & mouse, 6 USB
and 2 FireWire ports. The only thing that needs to be added by the
enduser is a monitor and an operating system if that option was
declined at the time of purchase. The base model will be retailing for
$628 plus shipping and applicable sales taxes.
The Jive Series Multi-Platform Desktop offers generous technical
capabilities at a relatively low cost, and RSOL PC will offer the
pre-installation of Windows XP, Windows Vista, Fedora or Ubuntu from
the factory. While the likelihood of endusers purchasing the Jive
Series for the sole purpose of running OSx86 is low, RSOL PC has again
cautioned that only properly licensed operating systems should be
installed onto their computers.
Apple, Inc's software EULA for Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard specifically
prohibits the installation of their operating system onto any computer
that is not manufactured by Apple, Inc. Such licensing restrictions do
not apply to any of the other mentioned compatible operating systems,
but this particular requirement in Apple's EULA has been referenced in
many online blogs during recent months due to the controversial release
of an unauthorized "Mac clone" computer from South Florida PC
manufacturer Psystar Corporation. Apple, Inc has subsequently charged
Psystar with trademark and copyright infringements for allegedly
distributing their 'Open Computer' with a preinstalled version of the
modified Mac OS X operating system. The complaint was filed on July 3,
2008 in the US District Court, Northern District of California, case
CV083251
A senior spokesperson from RSOL PC added "We've made it clear that
our company and Apple, Inc are not affiliated in any manner, and anyone
wishing to run Mac OS X is best advised to buy an authentic Mac
computer from an Apple authorized retailer. Our computers are not 'Mac
clones', and RSOL PC does not market them as such. We offer and
recommend Microsoft Windows as the preferred operating system for our
Jive Series because that's the only operating system we will be
supporting through the product's limited warranty. We recognize the
growing user interest in Linux distributions like Fedora or Ubuntu, so
we offer to preinstall them also, but the enduser is responsible for
obtaining their own software support. We are also not blind to the
small group of folks that like to run OSx86, but if they want to go out
and run OSx86 on our machine - which it's more than capable of doing -
then that's their own choice. They just need to be aware and take full
responsibility for essentially running a reverse-engineered version of
a copyrighted operating system. They won't receive any software support
from us, and it's unlikely they will receive any support from Apple. To
be absolutely clear, the illegal distribution and use of Apple's
operating system is not something we encourage or endorse at RSOL
PC."
RSOL PC anticipates that even though there's a low cost base model
(that does not include any preinstalled operating system), most models
sold will actually be upgraded units that are preinstalled with
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium.
RSOL PC Services has been serving South Florida since 2003 and
focuses on full service, computer sales and solutions for businesses
and home users.
Link: RSOL PC
Apple Buyer's Guide: From MacBook Air to
Xserve
InformationWeek's Richard Hoffman says:
"Maybe that most recent e-mail virus was the last straw. Maybe
you've been longing for a computer that 'just works' and that you
actually look forward to using. Maybe Microsoft Vista finally just sent
you right around the bend. Perhaps it was that 'Mac guy' on the
commercials. Or maybe you are the 'Mac guy.'
"For whatever reason, you've decided to buy a new computer from
Apple and want a little help sorting out the different models. Well,
you're in luck, because perhaps more than at any other time, Apple's
product lineup is clear, logical, and targeted at distinct types of
users and uses. The entire product line is one of the strongest Apple's
ever had. Without hyperbole, it may be the best overall line of
computers anyone has had, ever - there's not a bad Apple among the
bunch, and some are truly superb....
"From design to function, from form to performance, you pretty much
can't go wrong with anything Apple is currently selling. We've tested
them all in our labs over the past months, and they're just that good.
Read on and we'll help you choose the right one."
Link:
Apple Buyer's Guide: From MacBook Air to Xserve
When Will Apple Fix the Mighty Mouse?
MacUser's
David Dahlquist says:
"As I write this, I am awaiting the shipment of my third wireless
Mighty Mouse, courtesy of AppleCare, in less than 16 months. I'm
betting most of you who've owned a Mighty Mouse (wireless or not) for
over 6 months will know what my issue has been. That's right: the
trackball. It just stops working!"
"Apple: I agree that the Mighty Mouse, especially the wireless one,
is an awesome idea, and the ability to scroll horizontally is nothing
short of bad ass, but when I pay $70 for a mouse, I expect it to last
more than 6 months. I feel especially sorry for those who purchased the
Mighty Mouse separate from their Macs, thus leaving it uncovered by
extended AppleCare."
Link: When
Will Apple Fix the Mighty Mouse?
IEEE 1394-2008 (FireWire) Standard Approved
PR: The IEEE has approved IEEE 1394, "Standard for High
Performance Serial Bus." The revised specification combines and
incorporates all previous IEEE 1394 standards developed since 1994.
Commercially known under the brand names of FireWire and i.LINK, the
IEEE 1394 standard provides specifications for a high-speed serial bus
which supports both asynchronous and isochronous communication and
integrates well with most IEEE standard 32-bit and 64-bit parallel
buses. More than 500 million IEEE 1394 ports have been produced since
the standard was first published in 1995.
"The new standard includes all of the amendments, enhancements and
more than 100 errata which have been added to the base standard over
the last 12 years," said Les Baxter, chair of the working group which
developed the standard. "This update provides developers with a single
document they can rely upon for all of their application needs."
The 1394-2008 standard updates and revises all prior 1394 standards,
including 1394a, 1394b, 1394c, enhanced UTP, and the 1394 beta plus
PHY-Link interface. It also incorporates the complete specifications
for S1600 (1.6 Gigabit/second bandwidth) and for S3200, which provides
3.2 Gigabit/second speeds.
The standard is expected to be available this October.
The IEEE Standards Association, a globally recognized
standards-setting body, develops consensus standards through an open
process that brings diverse parts of industry together. These standards
set specifications and procedures based on current scientific and
technological consensus. The IEEE-SA has a portfolio of over 870 active
standards and more than 400 standards under development.
Link: New Version of
IEEE 1394 Standard Approved
Products
MacSpeech Offers Samson Technologies' Airline 77
Wireless Microphone
PR: MacSpeech, Inc. has announced a new, approved wireless
microphone option for use with MacSpeech Dictate. Now MacSpeech Dictate
customers can choose an AirLine 77 wireless mic from Samson
Technologies as an upgrade to the speech recognition solution's
standard microphone. The AirLine 77 mic is available immediately for
$349 directly from MacSpeech, Inc. at macspeech.com.
"Imagine using MacSpeech Dictate from nearly a football field away,"
explained Andrew Taylor, president and CEO of MacSpeech, Inc. "We're
quite pleased to offer the AirLine 77 as a wireless mic option.
MacSpeech Dictate includes an approved headset for quality input and
accurate dictation results. For those who prefer a special or high-end
mic, such as a freestanding desktop mic or a wireless mic, we offer
several tested upgrade options directly from our web site. We are
thrilled to add the AirLine 77 wireless mic option to our lineup."
The Samsom AirLine 77 is the first UHF wireless microphone certified
for use with MacSpeech Dictate, allowing customers to dictate up to 300
feet away from their Mac. AirLine 77 is Samson's newest version of the
AirLine series that features the first micro-technology transmitters in
the industry. AirLine 77 provides a true wireless system with no
belt-packs and no cables, allowing the user complete freedom.
MacSpeech Dictate is a new speech recognition product for the
Macintosh, with underlying speech recognition powered by the dictation
technology used in Dragon® NaturallySpeaking® from Nuance
Communications, Inc. MacSpeech Dictate delivers a truly Mac user
experience, and conforms to behaviors already familiar to Macintosh
fans worldwide. Beyond dictation, MacSpeech Dictate lets people perform
basic navigation of their Mac and control it with their voice to launch
applications, open new windows, execute menu commands, etc.
MacSpeech Dictate requires Intel-based Macintosh hardware and
requires Mac OS X 10.4.11 or higher, including Mac OS X 10.5. MacSpeech
Dictate is currently available in English at in the US, at in the UK,
and in other English-speaking countries through International resellers
and distributors listed at .
Link: MacSpeech
Plantronics .Audio 85 USB Stereo Headset Now 20%
Off at MacSpeech
PR: Need a lightweight headset that will let you use
MacSpeech Dictate everywhere you travel with your laptop? Take a look
at the Plantronics .Audio 85 USB stereo headset , which is now $20 off
at the MacSpeech online store. Through August 1, 2008, enter the coupon
code AUDIO20 at checkout to buy the .Audio 85 for $39, instead of the
regular $59 price.
The headset includes an adjustable noise-canceling microphone, which
helps improve accuracy, along with inline volume and mute controls. It
also features a lightweight frame that can be easily folded and stuffed
in a backpack or briefcase.
The Audio 85 headset is a USB based lightweight, foldable headset
that is compatible with both Macintosh and Windows based computers as
well as iPods, iChat, video conferencing, multiplayer games and music
listening. The headset comes with an adjustable microphone and an
inline volume and mute adjuster.
The .Audio 85 features a lightweight frame, noise-canceling
microphone, inline volume and mute control and compatibility with a
number of popular programs such as Apple's iChat, iTunes, multiplayer
video games, video conferencing and more. Unlike traditional headsets,
the Audio 85 is a foldable analog or digital headset that you operate
through your computer's USB port.
A great microphone for MacSpeech Dictate!
Features:
- Noise-canceling microphone
- Ultra-lightweight design
- USB plug and play
- Digital Signal Processing
- Inline volume and mute controls
- Lightweight, foldable and comfortable headset
Warranty: One year from Plantronics
Link:
Plantronics .Audio 85 USB stereo headset
Software
Free Pre-release Rescue Kit for Mac and CampTune
for Mac
PR: Try the brand new recovery solution for Mac. You can't
afford to lose all information on your computer. Lost productivity can
be devastating, to say the least. Rescue Kit for Mac OS X Lite restores
your system to its original state and rescues sensitive data enabling
you to be up and running. It can safely and easily backup both Mac and
Windows data to any media, including USB, FireWire and network
storages. It does what it says - and comes to the rescue with a variety
of solutions.
Smart
Backup- Fast Restore
- Backup your critical data
- Unique: Backup your entire system with ability to boot from the
created image!
- Dramatically improved data safety technology
- Recover individual files
- Return your system to a stable and usable state
- Valuable: Off-load folders/files to other partitions or drives
before re-imaging or reinstalling the whole system
- Easily redistribute space between Boot Camp and the Mac system
partition with CampTune
Paragon CampTune is designed for dual-boot customers running both
Mac OS and Windows on their Intel-based Mac. Paragon CampTune solves
frequent maintenance problem arising when Boot Camp users run out of
free space. With Paragon CampTune Mac users can easily redistribute
free space between Macintosh and Windows partitions without data loss,
so just in few minutes free megabytes can be added to Windows or
Macintosh partition.
Bootable CD
Partitioning: Get high performance and minimal system overhead
With Rescue Kit for Mac, you can create a backup image of your Mac
hard disk or separate partition. It provides the ability of bare metal
restore in case of software or hardware malfunction. Paragon Software
offers a bootable Rescue Environment on CD that will help you take an
immediate action in case of a system crash.
Bring your system and data back to life with enhanced recovery:
- Receive effective, uncomplicated system tool that can rescue your
sensitive data from the worst stages of disaster and return your system
to a stable and usable state
- Off-load folders or files to other partitions or drives before
re-imaging or reinstalling the whole system
- Recover individual files in minutes from a corrupted disk by
copying them to any external media or CD/DVD disk or to a local
drive
- Easily avoid the need to reload or re-image your system with
enhanced recovery features for unparalleled protection: you can restore
your data without having to install any additional software, even
Paragon Rescue Kit for Mac doesn't need to be installed.
Broad your data protection with easy backup and data safety
tools:
- Perform complete system backup - create even a bootable sector
based image
- Safely and easily backup both your Mac OS and Windows OS and data
to any media including USB, FireWire devices or network shares
- Browse backup images and restore separate files and folders from
them
- Export the necessary files and folders from a backup image
- With its easy-to-use interface and proven Paragon imaging and
recovery technology, now you can have a dramatic improvement in data
safety and ability to restore partitions /Individual Files/Folder
Restore.
Key Features and Benefits of Paragon Rescue Kit For Mac OS X
Lite:
- Bootable Recovery Media: Perform a full backup/restore and/or
file/folder rescue even if your operating system cannot be booted.
- Complete system backup: Create even a bootable sector based
image
- File Transfer Wizard: Get complete access to any file system (even
if they are unmounted or corrupted).
- Data Backup: Safely and easily backup both your Mac OS and Windows
OS and data to any media.
- Individual File/Folder Restore: Built-in image browser to quickly
find and restore individual files and/or folders.
- Network Support: Easily backup and restore from any accessible
network.
- Backup to any media: Backup vital data to any media, including USB,
FireWire devices or network shares.
- All file systems are supported: Get access to the most commonly
used file systems (FAT 16, FAT 32, NTFS, HPFS, EXT2FS, EXT3FS, Reiser,
including Apple HFS(+)).
- Easy-to-use: Intuitive, easy-to-use Wizards handle the most common
and even complex tasks.
Full features list
Key features
- Supports GPT and MBR hard disks
- Supports USB 2.0 hard drives
- Supports USB flash drives with GPT and MBR partition
structures
- Backup a separate partition including service data of the file
system
- Perform any Restore operations in case of the operating system
corruption or other boot problems
- Backup to any media, including USB and FireWire devices
- Restore a partition or separate files from the backup archive
User friendly interface. Easily understandable icons and wizards
accompany all functions of the program;
Easy-to-use, straightforward Backup and Restore Wizards provide a
unique possibility to carry out these technically complicated
operations even to a novice user;
Easily browse an archive of a separate partition getting access to
its contents and copying the required information wherever you want
to;
Access all file systems at once - just boot Recovery CD;
Network support;
DVD+/-R (DL) Support.
Basic Backup Features
- Backup a separate partition
- Backup all kinds of volumes
- Save backup images to local drives
- Save backup image to remote USB or FireWire device
- Save backup images to network
- Burn a backup archive to CD/DVDs (or write them to ISO-image files
for later burning)
- Compressing backup image
- Set archive names and add comments
- Interrupt backup operations if necessary.
Basic Recovery Features
- Restore a separate partition from any accessible location
- Browse backup images by File Transfer Wizard
- Restore separate files and folders from backup archives by File
Transfer Wizard.
User Interface Features
- Wizard driven User Interface
- Wizards for the majority of operations
- Display estimated archive size
- Display operation progress in graphic form and step by step
- Display archive information.
System requirements:
Supported Operating Systems
- Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger
- Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard.
Supported hard drives and removable media
- Parallel ATA (IDE) HDD (MBR and GPT based)
- Serial ATA (SATA) HDD (MBR and GPT based)
- SCSI HDD (MBR and GPT based)
- All levels of SCSI, IDE and SATA RAID controllers
- CD-R/RW
- DVD-R/RW
- DVD+R/RW
- DVD+/-R (DL)
- USB 1.0/2.0 and IEEE 1394 (FireWire) devices (MBR and GPT
based)
- PC card storage devices.
- Supported File Systems
- NTFS (all versions)
- FAT16
- FAT32
- Linux Ext2FS
- Linux Ext3FS
- Linux Swap
- HPFS
- Apple HFS (+)
- Other file systems (in Sector-by-Sector mode).
System Requirements
- CPU: Intel based Macs
- RAM: 256 MB
- CD/DVD-ROM.
Restrictions
- Backup an entire hard disk is not supported
- Backup image can be restored to the same partition it was made
- Backup of the first EFI (FAT32) partition (for GPT disks) is
prohibited. There is no need to backup/restore this partition.
Link: Paragon
Software
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