According to some newly released court documents in the "Vista Capable" class-action lawsuit, Microsoft was worried about comparisons between its newest OS and the Mac OS before Vista was even out, and before Apple starting joking about it ("Redmond, start your photocopiers.")
In fact, what really got Redmond going was the WSJ's Walt Mossberg, who told his readers on October 13 2005: "You also won't have to worry about Vista if you buy one of Apple Computer's Macintosh computers, which don't run Windows. Every mainstream consumer doing typical tasks should consider the Mac. Its operating system, called Tiger, is better and much more secure than Windows XP, and already contains most of the key features promised for Vista."
Padmanand Warrier, a developer in the Windows group--and potential future super-soldier by the sound of it--emailed around a link to his colleagues, including to Richard Russell, a Microsoft development manager.
Russell, in turn, responded: "My takeaway from Walt's article is that we have failed to communicate Vista's value."
I'd say that Microsoft has still failed to do that.
[via Slashdot]
Our pals over at Infinite Loop and Engadget are reporting that while Apple's new laptops might have snazzy Mini DisplayPorts, some iTunes content is all sewn up in High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) ridiculousness--a new version of DRM for video that requires all devices in the chain of video transmission to be authorized to play back content. In other words, if you want hook up a projector or an older monitor to your new machine in order to watch certain iTunes content, you're going to get the above error message. The solution? You'll need an HDCP-compliant display.
Apparently this has been brewing on the Apple discussion boards for a few weeks now, with one poster reporting on October 26:
Just got a new MacBook last week and finally found a mini Display Port -> VGA adapter so i could use my 19" external display. I rented a movie from the iTunes store yesterday and when I tried to play it on my external display, it gave me a warning/error that the display was 'not an authorized HDCP display' and it would not play. Plays fine on the small MacBook screen, just nothing external. To make it even worse, i tried all the movies that I have purchased from the iTunes store with the same result... NONE of them will play on anything but the MacBook's small 13" screen. This is crazy unacceptable.
Word.
So if you've been paying attention at all to the auto industry, you'll know that no American automaker has done anything all that innovative since perhaps the Chrysler Minivan. Meanwhile, foreign models (read: Smart car, Fiat Siena, Toyota Prius) are eating our lunch while we dither with the Chevy Volt (due out in 2010!). Now when it comes to economics I'm not all that nationalistic--I don't really care where my car comes from, so long as it's cheap and has better fuel economy than my last one. I really have no attachment to Detroit at all, but I understand why a lot of people do.
New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman is similarly frustrated with the state of the American auto industry and has been for quite some time now.
So what's the solution? Get someone in there who has a reputation for building smart, iconic, game-changing products--like El Jobserino himself.
Friedman writes: "Lastly, somebody ought to call Steve Jobs, who doesn't need to be bribed to do innovation, and ask him if he'd like to do national service and run a car company for a year. I'd bet it wouldn't take him much longer than that to come up with the G.M. iCar. "
Any car conceived of by Steve Jobs is a car I'd buy in a heartbeat.
In a sudden, surprising move, the Wall Street Journal and Reuters are both reporting that Tony Fadell (yes, that Tony Fadell), the now former senior VP of the iPod Division, is leaving the company.
Apple has now confirmed the move, and the fact that Fadell will be replaced by Mark Papermaster who recently left IBM, triggering a lawsuit from Big Blue. Papermaster’s title is senior vice president of Devices Engineering, which is in charge of the hardware for both the iPod and iPhone.
Reports the WSJ:
[Fadell] was also part of the executive team involved in the development of the iPhone, which has become the fastest growing part of Apple’s business. People familiar with the matter said Mr. Fadell planned to take time off after leaving the company though he may still keep a role at Apple as a consultant.
Fadell is indeed staying on as a consultant to the CEO. However, Fadell’s wife, Danielle Lambert, who also works at Apple as vice president of Human Resources, is leaving the company for good. Apple’s press release says that they’re both leaving to “devote more time to their young family.” We wish them both the best of luck.
It wouldn't be the Mac web if rumors weren't swirling all the time. The latest scuttlebutt making the rounds was that new iMacs and Mac minis were just around the corner (I heard that Steve Jobs would come to your house and give you a manly bear hug with each purchase).
Sadly, Apple told our very own Jim Dalrymple that their Christmas lineup is set at this point. Here's a translation for you, 'no new Apple products before Christmas,' means we won't be seeing anything new before Macworld in January (of course this seems to make refreshed iMacs and Mac minis a good bet for Macworld Expo).
There is a chance, tiny though it might be, that this is all a world-class fake out on Apple's part and they are going to completely revamp their product lineup on November 11th. Here's hoping we get solid gold Mac minis powered by rainbows and happiness.
In a costume I'm sure no one outside of the Bay Area will actually try to pull off, iPhoneSavior.com reminds us that the two-year-old Steve's Outfit has put together what might be the the techiest, most-expensive and simplest costume ever: dressing up like El Jobserino himself.
For only $175, you too can have a pair of Levi's 501 jeans, New Balance shoes and a black mock turtleneck. Of course, we're assuming that you already have an iPhone and the assorted catchphrases like: "Boom!" and "One more thing..." at the ready.
If you actually do dress up like Jobs (bonus points if you can pull off a Woz!), or any other Apple-themed costume, send us a pic, yeah?
Earlier this week, at the Embedded Systems Conference in Boston, Allan Yogasingam disassembled two of Apple's biggest hardware flops in the company's history: the lesser-known gaming system, Pippin, and the oft-ridiculed PDA, the Newton.
As Forbes.com reported:
In the case of the Pippin, Apple's attempt with the toymaker Bandai to create a hybrid PC game console for the Japanese market in 1995, Yogasingam's dissection revealed a strange mongrel's anatomy: the processor of a gaming machine, mixed with the networking capability, structure and layout of a small computer.Yogasingam pried off a heat sink to reveal Pippin's processor, a Motorola 603PowerPC that was already three years old when the console was released. That outdated technology meant CD ROM games took as long as three minutes to load. The device's modem, designed to make Pippin the first Internet-connected gaming machine, transmitted data at a laughable 14.4 kilobytes per second. Using the Pippin to send a message to someone in Japan and receive a response, for instance, took around 10 minutes.
Now I'm not sure whether or not this was bad reporting on Forbes.com's part, or whether or not Yogasingam made this claim himself, but I'm not really sure why even at 14.4 kbps that you couldn't have an instant message chat with Japan. I mean, I used to do text chats on a 2400 baud modem.
But the main thing that kept the Pippin down was its price -- selling for about $600 at the time -- compared with the $200 Nintendo 64.
Just two years beforehand, Yogasingam reminded the crowd, Apple released the Newton, the first major PDA.
The entry-level model sold for $700 and was pretty huge (I should know, I still have one), at 8 inches long and about 4.5 inches wide. While its handwriting recognition was often ridiculed, it actually was ahead of its time. That is to say, if you used the Newton enough it would actually learn your handwriting, instead of your having to learn its handwriting, which was the innovation that Palm figured out with its Graffiti software soon after.
Still, it's pretty clear that Apple's learned from those painful days to create some pretty awesome hardware since.
Tomorrow is Halloween. That means you have just one more day to buy candy and fortify your house to prepare for the onslaught of children (and a few surly teenagers) demanding sugary treats. While I’d love to simply turn them away with the excuse of a weak economy, I’m just not sure trick or treaters understand the subtleties of the banking market.
Another good way to celebrate the holiday is with Mac-o-Lanterns. We’re not just talking about turning old Macs into Jack-o-Lanterns. I’m talking about talking the actual vegetable, cutting it, and creating pretty patterns that you light up with a candle (ok, you can use your iPhone if you’re desperate to integrate some kind of Apple electronics).
Cult of Mac has linked a nice assortment at the Apple Collection. I think the readers here can come up with some nice designs. I’m picturing a Dan-Moren-o-Lantern thats sure to scare all the kids away. I’ll get started.
Just because Psystar and Apple recently decided to enter into arbitration instead of going to court doesn't mean that Psystar isn't going to try to sell as many machines as possible before the final decision comes down, no siree bob.
In fact, today, Psystar decided to one-up Apple, not only releasing a new model of clone, but one that comes with a built-in, patented Blu-Ray bag of hurt plus Nvidia's new 9800GT graphics card--beating Apple to the punch, at least for now.
I'm guessing that this will give Messrs. Cooperman and Yorio lots to arbitrate.
Disclaimer: The following post contains politics and strong opinions. You have been warned.
In a rare move, Apple has thrown its hat into the political ring. A post on the company’s Hot News page says that Apple is publicly opposing California’s Proposition 8, a ballot initiative that would change the California State Constitution to define the union between a man and woman as the only valid form of marriage in the state and banning marriage for same-sex couples. The proposition appears on the ballot for California’s upcoming November 4th election.
Not only is Apple opposing Prop 8, it’s also putting its money where its mouth is, donating $100,000 to the “No on 8” campaign, and citing its history as one of the first California companies to offer equal benefits to its employees’ same-sex partners. Says Apple:
…we strongly believe that a person’s fundamental rights — including the right to marry — should not be affected by their sexual orientation. Apple views this as a civil rights issue, rather than just a political issue, and is therefore speaking out publicly against Proposition 8.
Apple’s not alone either, as the LA Times reports that Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page have also donated a substantial amount of money to the “No on 8” campaign.
Dan’s Opinion: I could not be happier to see my favorite company take up my favorite cause. Apple sometimes takes flak for not involving itself in charitable and social issues, so it’s refreshing to see them put their foot down—and hard—on something so crucial to so many Americans. As a resident of the U.S.’s first state to allow same-sex couples the right to marry, I couldn’t be prouder to see Apple take up this issue of fundamental human rights and equality. Kudos to Apple and to Steve.
