Category: apple

We have had two different Taiwan contacts tell us that Apple is preparing what one source described as “an ultra-dock” for new design iPod. While specific features are not certain at this time, it is clear the new dock is headed toward production very soon.

What we are being told is that the new dock is intended to mate the iPod to a home stereo system, providing a variety of data management functions, multiple I/O connections, some intelligent music file management capability in the dock itself, and, according to one source, a wireless remote control handset. Both contacts spoke as though the product is a very near term item. However, we are digging deeper to locate the actual manufacturer, and to try and gather more specific information about features and release date.

[MacWhispers]

… about the iTunes Music Store, iPods and selling Macs.

Officials at Apple Computer Inc. said today that former Vice President Al Gore has joined the company’s Board of Directors.

Gore was elected to the board early today at it’s general meeting. In a statement, Gore said he had been particularly impressed with Apple’s Mac OS X operating system and the company’s commitment to the open-source software movement.

“Al brings an incredible wealth of knowledge and wisdom to Apple from having helped run the largest organization in the world — the United States government,” Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs said in a statement. “Al is also an avid Mac user and does his own video editing in Final Cut Pro.”

Gore also serves as a Senior Adviser to Google, Inc. and is a visiting professor at the University of California Los Angeles, Fisk University and Middle Tennessee State University.
Mercury News wire services contributed to this report.

[SJ Mercury News]

I really do believe that Apple is really working to make a full defection from MS Office while maintaining the compatibility but of course enhancing things in the “oh so Apple way.”

Potentially the most interesting Apple software software rumour — especially in concert with Keynote — is Document, an MS Word killer. As whispered by MacWhispers:

The new package, said to be named “Document,” includes 100% import and export functionality with Microsoft Word files, but goes much farther than that venerable word processor has ever managed in giving the user a full-scope document development environment
…
Most interesting is a report that it will also provide many alternate output format choices, including advanced .PDF (with selectable compression), several levels of HTML (including DHTML), a wide assortment of multimedia formats, and will provide easy to use tools for adding XML tags to documents.

Certainly more interesting than going up against Office with AppleWorks. What _is_ the future of AppleWorks, anyway?

[raelity bytes]

An underground campaign to draft Steve Jobs as a candidate for president is snuffed out in short order by the man himself. The Apple CEO said he was flattered, but not interested in the job. By Leander Kahney. [Wired News – Technology]

According to mac.fryke.com:

Valentine’s day, our sources say, is the day we’ll see them. 15.4″ displays, aluminum enclosure & Bluetooth. Firewire 800 is in, too, no information about the keyboard backlighting is available, though.

I had to run a few errands in SoHo this morning and made a stop at the Apple Store. They had a single 12″ PowerBook on display and it was amazing!

The size has been bothering me until now. I was not sure that I would like the screen size / resolution, but now that I have seen it I can say with all honesty that I would not miss having 3 more inches of real estate if I had to get the smaller book. I still want to see the 17″ when it comes in, and would still like to check out the pending revision to the 15″ the rumor sites have already been whispering about.

The 12 inch book, has some very nice design elements to it. The hinge for the screen is terrific and seems more like the iBook than the TiBook. All the ports are on the left side with the slot drive taking up about 2/3 of the right edge. I would take a day or two to adjust to some new hand positions with the keyboard after 2 years with my current machine since everything is repositioned on the smaller platform.

Interestingly the machine had no internet connection since they are actually waiting on the Airport Extreme card and base stations to come in. In a quick browse I would say that apps started much faster than on my TiBook 500 and overall the general performance was nice. Apple did not ship the machine with Safari and defaulted to IE which was also a bit strange. Otherwise, I can’t think of anything but wow. The size, weight and general feel of the machine were all excellent. My prediction is that Apple is not going to be able to keep up with the demand for these. The bang for the buck is the best they have offered. Loaded for less than $2000 + Airport Extreme which is a BTO option…

Accelerating its pace of innovation, Apple offers PowerBooks that should appeal to IT buyers.

This morning’s WSJ is running a great story on Page 1 of the Marketplace section entitled Apple is Now Showing some Real Substance behind the Pretty Case, which talks about the recent development of Safari and Keynote as well as assumung that there are apps to handle word processing and spreadsheets on the way. The software efforts are being matched by other companies as well as noted by the return of QuickBooks which had been killed in 1997 but returned at the end of last year.

While I don’t agree author Lee Gomez about his idea for Apple to release hardware that would fit the beige special category, I can’t help but agree with the idea that Apple is here now and very strong despite what the nay-sayers feel. The software and hardware combos they offer today are simply the best for most computing applications. Sure there are PC only apps, but those things (whatever they are) could be converted or re-developed if and when the Mac audience grows. I believe that the experience is the best for handling digital media, content creation, email and web content as well as educational applications. Games is an easy target for where things are lacking compared to PCs but that is just fine for now. Mainstream computing is not high end PC gaming. It is, however manipulating digital photos, listening to MP3 tracks and of course sending email about the new web site you made with all that great stuff within a matter of minutes thanks to Apple’s ease of use and software genius.

Apple these days is in the unique and enviable position of appealing simultaneously to computer users at both ends of the usage spectrum. The first is the home user, someone who just wants to surf the Net and read e-mail. Not long ago, home users would have been crazy for considering a Macintosh. Now, they are crazy if they don’t.

The second is the technically minded user, who likes the new Mac because it’s based on software called FreeBSD, a kissing cousin to Linux. Apple says the Linux-on-the-desktop movement is stalling, which would once again make the Apple ecosystem the gathering place for people disinclined to like Mr. Gates.