iMac

Apr 27 2009

The Rebuttal ñ eMac, iMac, No Dvorak

The Rebuttal
– eMac, iMac, No Dvorak
By: Jon Gales

I’ve been following John Dvorak for several years. If you haven’t
heard of him, Mr. Dvorak is a PC Magazine
contributing editor and a vocal anti-Macintosh pundit. I’ve heard him complain
about an array of Apple products (most notably the iBook which he dubbed a Hello
Kitty purse). He recently let loose an article that articulates his ignorance,
"E-Mac,
i-Mac, No Mac". Now, I could pick on the mistakes in his title…
It’s supposed to be eMac and iMac (no dashes) but I won’t even touch on that
icon razz The Rebuttal ñ eMac, iMac, No Dvorak .

Bias is to be expected –
especially in the sensitive topic of computing platforms. I’m biased towards
the Macintosh but Dvorak has gone overboard:

Isn’t it about
time the Macintosh was simply discontinued—put down like an old dog?

**BIAS ALERT** There aren’t
many responses (ones that exclude the words I’m not allowed to use on this
site) that would make a whole lot of sense. I’ll just let you laugh at this
one.

The company also rolled out some blade computers for Mac-heads who like running
massive Web sites with Mac technology. The obvious next iteration of the Mac
will be the current Luxo-looking i-Mac with a bigger screen and probably new
colors. After that, what is Apple going to do?

Nope… Not blade computers! They all have CPU’s
and cooling units and are all fully functional computers. They take up 1U
and have G4 chips. Do yourself a favor, visit Apple.com.
Also what did they do when they had the CRT? The made a better iMac. That’s
what Apple does… They keep improving!

The Lisa was designed with ideas lifted from the Xerox Star. The Mac
was an improvement, but apparently there hasn’t been a new idea since.

How about the iMac
which has been one of the best selling computer lines of all time – millions
upon millions of happy customers. How about dumping the floppy when most PC’s
still have one but no one uses it. How about adding FireWire
to every computer they make. How about Final
Cut Pro (most people don’t know that almost every movie trailer is edited
down with FCP). How about iDVD.
How about adding support for 802.11b
in all their machines before most people knew what it was. How about QuickTime
Streaming Server (it’s free unlike something from Real and it’s used throughout
the industry by media giants like CNN).
How about Remote
Desktop. How about OS
X.

 

Dvorak’s fundamental beef
is that he wants Macintosh to die (no real motive except he’s a die hard PC
weenie). His weenie status is evident every time he talks about Apple. He always
screws up his facts. Whether it’s on Silicon Spin (a discontinued TV show) and
he gets the specs of the iPod wrong, or if it’s the capitalization in computer
models he is always wrong when it comes to Apple. As most loyal’s know Apple
has been getting death announcements (more than probably any other profitable
company) for many years but they have all been ungrounded. After Jobs got on
board (for the second time) Apple has taken a lot of ground. After the Switch
campaign started I’ve gotten even more confident that what John Dvorak spews
is just a desperation call. He can’t possibly stand being wrong.

**This
is an editorial piece. All comments should be sent directly to Jon**

 

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Apr 27 2009

Year Of the Mac– 2003

By: Jon Gales

This is the first annual Year of the Mac article. It covers what will happen
to the MAc during the next year.

2002 was a great year for the Mac. The new iMac’s were a smashing success, Jaguar
was and still is hot, the Switch ads are working to bring people in and are
working to change our image. A few years ago I got teased every time I said
I used a Mac. Now, people ask if it’s one of those cool ones on TV. Or if I
can make DVD’s. Now it’s actually cool to have a Mac (from the perspective of
an average PC user). I know several people who converted this year, and are
loving it.2003 is going to be a huge year for the Mac. Here’s what I think will
happen:

1) The Switch campaign will last through 2003. I bet there will be a few more
celebrity ads but a lot more good ol’ normal people ads.

2) The iPod will own the music player industry. Now that there is a Windows
version, nothing is stopping it. Look for more imitations but no one will settle
for anything but the iPod. I have a feeling this will pad Apple’s financial’s
for at least 2 quarters.

3) OS X will make big strides. Believe it or not but there are a lot of people
still using OS 9. They will switch over due to software makers switching over.
It’s going to be another hot year for OS X books and training software.

4) We’re going to see another iApp in 2003. Don’t know what yet, but the digital
hub is not yet complete. Of course iChat, iCal, and iSync will receive much
needed updates.

5) MacOS X 10.3 (code named Panther) will tempt even more IT professionals who
want to be able to run their favorite Unix goodies and still be able to run
Office and other programs from the GUI side of computing. OS X is already making
many a geek converts, but 10.3 will convert them in droves. Apple needs to market
OS X more towards geeks, some of who think it’s a kids OS because of the simplistic
nature. I’d like to see a commercial on Tech
TV covering Terminal.app, and some of the nifty Utilities that ship with
X.

6) Apple’s flat panels will dip in price quite a bit. The big end of the year
rebates were a test. I’d expect to see the 17" down to the 600-700 range
and the Cinema displays follow suit proportionately. In a perfect world I’d
like to see Apple monitors be able to work with PC’s, but that’s not going to
happen. If Steve Jobs was more of a business man than a revolutionary we’d see
a lot more Apple Displays around.

7) Cocoa software is starting to mature and will only get better in 03. Programmers
are getting more advanced every day and some of the new software coming out
is just amazing. Photo To Movie for instance is revolutionary (and so freaking
cheap). Other examples of great Cocoa software are: NetNewsWire,
iPulse,
Chimera,
Adium and LaunchBar.
A lot of the great programming is coming from free or shareware programmers.
The big apps from Adobe and
Macromedia won’t be
written in Cocoa for a long time, but until then the small guys are more than
enough to keep us happy. Expect a huge year for cheap or free Cocoa software.
Don’t forget to be generous to the programmers… If they have a tip jar don’t
hold back. Brian’s Freeloader
Friday column will keep you abreast of what’s new.

8) Apple stock will be above $20 a share at this time next year.Not great, but
it will be up for the year.

That’s it. This looks to be one hell of a year for the Macintosh!

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Apr 27 2009

Apple needs a budget-minded box

By Eduardo Rodriguez-Perez

Though the Apple lawyers have yet to flex their muscles, the buzz about John Fraser’s iBox (read the Wired article here) means only one thing: Apple-ites want Pizza!

And no, I’m not talking about the round pie of Italian descent. I’m referring to a low-cost Mac box with all the basic features needed by the average user.

The iBox, as Fraser calls his design, is based on current Apple-manufactured boards, enclosed in a slim, monitor-independent case, that’s not only stylish and attractive, but not too cumbersome on a desktop.

After the January MacWorld Expo, I was thoroughly disturbed at the absence of a line of boxes that addressed this segment, as well as the growing complexity of the overall line of hardware options. Though there are affordable Mac options, such as the iBook and eMac, none of these machines are attractive enough in a market where Dell is pushing complete PC systems for less than $500.

I do agree with a robust line of laptops, however there is such a thing as too much. I personally take issue with the existence of a 17″ Powerbook. Though amazingly portable for its size, and an incredible accomplishment in that segment, this machine is just too much. The 17″ AlBook, is going to attract too few users outside of the music and science fields, areas I believe Apple already has enough strength. But ol’ Steve-O wanted one, and he got it. It’s one heck of a show-piece.

It’s time that Apple look at one important fact that can bring them into the homes of many more users, including PC-only households: the iPod. Windows users have embraced the portable music-playing hard drives, almost as much as Mac fanatics. Now it’s time to tie the noose, and convert this user base, which has already started its journey.

If Apple were to produce a sub-$700, monitor-independent box, with the features listed below, I believe they have nothing too lose:

Processor: 800 Mhz G4
Memory: 384 MB
HD: 40 GB
Optical: Combo Drive
Ports: Firewire 400 (1 front and 1 back), USB (1 front and 2 back), 10/100 Enet, Audio In/Out.
Video: 32MB video card with ADC & VGA out.
Slots: 2 free PCI slots
Wireless: PC card slot & Bluetooth ready.

I’m currently running a TiBook/400, the first TiBook released, and it handles everything I throw at it. It cuts through OS 10.2.4 easily, running all the apps I use, simultaneously. From Safari, to iTunes, to Photoshop & Illustrator, I find the performance excessively sufficient.

The advent of firewire & USB (now a standard in all Mac hardware) would eliminate legacy issues, as would a swappable ZIF socket processor. And as far as monitors are concerned, If you have an iPod, you have a computer, and that means you have a monitor. But, in the case that you want something fancier, the Apple LCD line is still there if you want some pricier options.

Despite the design genius of the iMac, it’s still tough to go in and shell out $1300+ at an Apple store, when a late model PC with ALL the bells & whistles pops in under a grand, and is infinitely more upgradeable than the beautiful all-in-one wonder.

As far as the hardware is concerned, I doubt it would be difficult for Apple to port one of its laptop motherboard designs for this box, if not basing it on the current eMac.

And this would not only be a switcher box, but also help Apple make inroads into the enterprise and education markets, where, combined with the power of the Xserve, “going Apple” would become incredibly attractive. And imagine the addition of a mini-tablet for power users or teachers. Admit it, you’ve read the rumors.

Laptops will still be needed, though some streamlining of the iBook and PowerBook lines wouldn’t hurt, as will the PowerMac for advanced and extreme users. But if Apple wants to gain more substantial market share – once again take control of the education segment, jump in to the enterprise world, and on top gain tons more switchers – they have to own up to price point. Lessen the margin on hardware to increase your user base. And then capitalize on those users with DLDs, and software.

What would you rather buy, an iMac, or an iBox and an iPod? Monitors will be monitors, and it’s time Apple ended its love affair with all-in-one, upgrade-challenged machines that aren’t as attractive as PCs, other than in good-looks.

I’ll buy Mac for the rest of my life, no matter the price. And most Mac users will. But those worried about their bottom line, and PC users in general, would rather not. They’d be happier with Dell.com and a Domino’s pie.

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