Ars Technica has posted and article (with images ) detailing Apple’s apparent educational iMac listed at $899. The white 17” iMac comes with:

1.83GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor
1GB RAM
160GB hard drive
24x Combo drive
Intel GMA 950 graphics

As Chris Foresman of Ars Technica puts it:

“Though the pricing is attractive, I'm not sure it represents a great value in the current market. The combination of a 1.83GHz processor, max 2GB DDR2 RAM, combo optical drive (DVD-ROM + CD-R/W), and Intel integrated graphics is pretty underwhelming. Given many schools' 3-year or longer equipment cycles, those buying this cheaper iMac would end up with what is essentially 5-year old equipment by the time its reached the upgrade cycle. And without the NVIDIA 9400M graphics, this model would see little benefit from a Snow Leopard upgrade.

Likewise, with the old design and underwhelming hardware, I also wouldn't expect Apple to ever offer this to the general public.”

It makes sense for Apple to offer something for the educational market but we agree that the configuration is “underwhelming”. Check out the full article here.

Tags:imac, education

To coincide with the release of the new Shuffle, Apple yesterday released iTunes 8.1. Apple updated the Genius sidebar to include movie and TV recommendations, improved speed when importing large libraries, added sync support for the new Shuffle, improved parental controls and added iTunes DJ. According to Macworld:

With iTunes DJ, iPhone users that have Apple’s Remote application installed can request songs to be played. Users can also vote to control when songs are played. The DJ feature even has its own preferences, so you can send a welcome message to users and control whether voting is turned on or off. You can also require users to type in a password to access iTunes DJ’s features.

We’re not sure about the utility of the new iTunes DJ but you never know, it might be useful to some.

iTunes 8.1 should be available via Software Update and as always is free.

Tags:itunes, update

John Gruber of Daring Fireball fame has posted an excellent article on what Macworld Expo was and what it meant to the Macintosh/Apple community.

“Macworld Expo brings together the full spectrum of people involved in this racket. Designers, engineers, marketing guys, managers, the press, and, yes, just plain users. There is nothing else like Macworld Expo, and if it fades away, there will be nothing to take its place. What everyone wishes is that Apple hadn’t done this. That we could plan on coming back next year and have it be the same. But we can’t have that. Apple did pull out. It will never be the same. What it will be, we don’t yet know.”

The article is an excellent read. I’ve never been to a Macworld Expo but it was always something I wanted to do. Without Apple, even if the show survives, I’m not sure it would be worth the effort.

Joseph Henry

Tags:macworld

During the first quarter conference call yesterday COO Tim Cook dispelled any notions of Apple introducing an iPhone Nano:

"You know us, we're not going to play in the low-end voice phone business. That's not who we are. That's not why we're here. We'll let somebody do that, our goal is not to be the unit share leader in the phone industry. It is to build the best phone."

He also made similar comments regarding a low-end netbook:

"We're watching that space, but right now from our point of view, the products in there are principally based on hardware that's much less powerful than we think customers want, software technology that is not good, cramped keyboards, small displays."Cook added, "We don't think people will be pleased with those products. It's a category we watch, we've got some ideas here, but right now we think the products are inferior and will not provide an experience to customers they're happy with."

Both comments echo what Steve Jobs said in October’s quarterly conference call so we tend to believe them. It’s not unheard of for Apple to reverse course on something they’ve discounted in the past but both are unlikely given Apple’s market and product placement strategy: higher end and high margin devices.

Read the entire AppleInsider story. MacRumors is also running a similar article.

Tags:tim cook, announcement

How does this work: the economy is in a recession and people are losing jobs at an alarming rate and Apple just had a record breaking quarter. You heard right folks, our favorite fruit company just reported record sales, revenue and profits. Read Apple’s official press release if you don’t believe us.

MacRumors sums it up very nicely.

Next quarters guidance isn’t so rosy but that’s to be expected and of course, Apple’s guidance is always very, very conservative.

Tags:corporate, earnings, financials

Bloomberg.com is reporting that the SEC is looking into disclosures regarding Steve Jobs health. “to ensure that investors weren’t misled, a person familiar with the matter said”.

The Securities and Exchange Commission’s review doesn’t mean investigators have seen evidence of wrongdoing, the person said, declining to be identified because the inquiry isn’t public. Bloomberg News reported last week that Jobs is considering a liver transplant as a result of complications after treatment for cancer, citing people who are monitoring his illness.

Stay tuned...

Tags:corporate, steve jobs

The Los Angels Times business section has posted an online article about Apple COO Tim Cook being pegged as Steve Jobs replacement while the latter is out on medical leave.

Through a series of roles, most recently chief operating officer, Cook fixed what ailed Apple in the mid-1990s: poor product quality, spotty availability and absurdly high prices. His reward: For the second time in five years, Jobs this week tapped Cook to run the company while the chief executive takes a medical leave.

The article is a good read especially for any jumpy, trigger happy Apple share holders. Cook is a very well regarded supply chain manager and is eminently qualified to run Apple during Jobs convalescence.

Read more...

Tags:corporate, steve jobs

Here they are:

New iLife:

iPhoto: new ways of organizing and finding photos: face recognition, geo tagging, new slideshow themes and Facebook and Flickr integration.

iMovie: dynamic themes, animated 2D and 3D travel maps, precision editing, better audio options, image stabilization.

GarageBand: Artist lessons that you can buy through iTunes.

New iWeb as well.

New iWork:

Keynote: slick new transitions, Magic Move, theme chooser, 3D chart animations, Keynote iPhone remote.

Pages: more templates via new theme chooser, full screen option, mail merge with Numbers, dynamic outlines.

Numbers: 250 new functions, easier formulas, theme chooser, better charting, links to Pages to update data on the fly.

iWork.com: share documents and add notes.

New 17 inch MacBook Pro with new battery: up to 8 hours per charge, up to 1000 charges, non-replaceable.

DRM Free iTunes! 8 million tracks DRM free now and the rest will be DRM free by the end of the quarter. Higher quality encoding as well. Three prices for songs: $0.69, $0.99 & $1.29. Available on your iPhone via 3G.

All in all a pretty decent MacWorld. Too bad it’ll be the last one.

Tags:announcement, rumor, update, macworld, ilife, iwork

MacRumors posted a nice synopsis yesterday of the most prevalent MacWorld Expo rumors and predictions making the rounds on the internet. Read the entire article here. We know you’re dying to know what our predictions are so here they are in no particular order:

• New Minis and iMacs
• iLife 09 and portions of iWork in the Cloud.
• No iPhone Nano

Ok, so we’re really not going out on a limb here but so what. Sosumi!

Tags:rumor, macworld

9to5Mac is reporting that iWork 09 will debut at MacWorld. That’s plausible but the real kicker is that they’re reporting that Apple is moving the apps to the cloud. You heard that right: supposedly Pages, Keynote and Numbers will all become web apps.

If anyone could do Cloud computing right Apple would be the logical choice. We’re not convinced, though. Cloud computing certainly has its place but for most people web apps can’t fully replace a desktop version at this time. Google apps are nice and in general work pretty well but we’d never give up our desktop versions of Numbers, Pages, or even Excel for that matter.

The report is of course a rumor so grains of salt should be taken. We’d certainly welcome an upgrade to iWork and if Apple were to integrate the suite with existing MobleMe services they could score a serious home run. Imagine Keynote on your iPhone or iPod Touch. That would be extraordinary! Here’s to this rumor sort of being true.

Tags:rumor, iwork

Gizmodo is reporting that the real reason for Apple subbing Phil Schiller for the keynote and exiting MacWorld after 2009 is Steve Jobs “rapidly” declining health:

“Steves health is rapidly declining. Apple is choosing to remove the hype factor strategically vs letting the hype destroy apple when the inevitable news comes later this spring.”

CNBC’s Jim Goldman, however, is reporting the opposite:

“I was told two weeks ago by sources inside Apple that the decision had nothing to do with Jobs' health. I got the same message today. Period.I will say again: if Apple is lying, holding some truth back, manipulating its own stock by manipulating the truth, someone — indeed a lot of people — could be going to jail. Do I like the way Apple has handled this ongoing story? No. But do I traffic in rumors to fill the void the company has created by not choosing to be more forthcoming about Jobs' health? Absolutely not.”

So who are we to believe? The Gizmodo rumor is just that, a rumor and Goldman presents the compelling argument that if the rumor turns out to be true, a bunch of people would go to jail. We just can’t see Apple execs being stupid enough to take that risk.

Tags:steve jobs, rumor

Apple released Leopard 10.5.6 via Software Update today and it includes a bunch o fixes:

Address Book

• Improves reliability of Address Book syncing with iPhone and other devices and applications.

AirPort

• Improves the reliability of AirPort connections, including improvements when roaming in large wireless networks with an Intel-based Mac.

Client management

• Improves reliability of synchronizing files on a portable home directory.
• Fixes an issue in Mac OS X 10.5.4 and 10.5.5 in which managed users may not see printers that use the Generic PPD.
• Client computers that use UUID-based ByHost preferences now respect managed Screen Saver settings.

iChat

• Addresses an issue that could cause an encryption alert to appear in the chat window.
• Setting your iChat status to "invisible" via AppleScript no longer logs you out of iChat.
• Resolves an issue in which pasting text from a Microsoft Office document could insert an image rather than text.

Graphics

• Includes general improvements to gaming performance.
• Includes graphics improvements for iChat, Cover Flow, Aperture, and iTunes.
• Includes fixes for possible graphics distortion issues with certain ATI graphics cards.

Mail

• Includes overall performance and reliability fixes.
• Improves Connection Doctor accuracy.
• Fixes an issue that could cause messages identified as junk to remain in the inbox.
• Fixes an issue that could cause Mail to append a character to the file extension of an attachment.
• Addresses an issue that could prevent Mail from quitting.
• Improves reliability when printing PDF attachments.

MobileMe

• Contacts, calendars, and bookmarks on a Mac automatically sync within a minute of the change being made on the computer, another device, or the web at me.com.

Networking

• Improves Apple File Service performance, especially when using a home directory hosted on an AFP server. Important: If you are using Mac OS X 10.5.6 (client) to connect to a Mac OS X Server 10.4-based server, it is strongly recommended that you update the server to Mac OS X Server version 10.4.11.
• Improves the performance and reliability of TCP connections.
• Improves reliability and performance for AT&T 3G cards.
• Updates the ssh Terminal command for compatibility with more ssh servers.

Printing

• Improves printing for the Adobe CS3 application suite.
• Improves printing for USB-based Brother and Canon printers.

Parental Controls

• Addresses an issue in which a parentally-controlled account could be unable to access the iTunes Store.
• Includes general fixes for time limits.
• Resolves an issue that prevented adding allowed websites from Safari via drag and drop.

Time Machine

• Fixes issues that could cause Time Machine to state the backup volume could not be found.
• Improves Time Machine reliability with Time Capsule.

Safari

• Improves compatibility with web proxy servers.

General

• Includes Mac OS X security improvements. See this website for more information.
• Addresses inaccuracies with Calculator when the Mac OS X language is set to German or Swiss German.
• Improves the performance and reliability of Chess.
• Improves DVD Player performance and reliability.
• Performance improvements for iCal are included.
• Fixes an issue when running the New iCal Events Automator action as an applet.
• Adds a Trackpad System Preference pane for portable Macs.
• Improves compatibility with smart cards such as the U.S. Department of Defense Common Access Card.
• Updates time zone data and Daylight Saving Time rules for several countries.

You can also download the standalone version of the update here.

Tags:update

MacRumors is reporting that Apple is letting previously banned apps into the iTunes app store and loosening it's grip on the approval process. According to an app developer quoted in the MacRumors article:

"[Apple] told me that they are going to start approving a whole new "genre" of apps, and that Pull My Finger will be the first to be accepted in this genre. As of now Pull My Finger is available in the app store.

The very kind Apple Team Member told me that they didn't want to reject it originally, but that they were sorting out how this "genre" of apps were going to be handled. She told me they'd be lifting the restriction on them, and more apps will follow that may have been previously not allowed."

This is great new to anyone needing that all important iPhone/iPod Touch farting app.

Tags:itunes, app, iphone, ipod, humor

AppleInsider is reporting that Apple is on the verge of going DRM-free with the iTunes music store. The DRM-free move is rumored to start tomorrow, December 9th:

A report last week brought to AppleInsider's attention by French technology site ElectronLibre asserts that it's now "clear" Apple will spark new interest in its music store by removing DRM from tracks published by Sony, Universal and Warner on December 9th. The site doesn't point to specific sources but is careful to note that Apple is moving cautiously on the matter following difficult negotiations that allegedly had the labels hoping to negotiate what EMI had done for the launch of iTunes Plus in 2007, when it successfully negotiated prices higher before ultimately agreeing to reduce the price to Apple's standard 99 cents. Labels had also been hoping to switch from a monthly reporting of iTunes sales stats to live data, the earlier story suggests. Talks between Apple and the remaining three labels may have been corroborated by a previous CNet story which also mentioned ongoing discussions that would let Apple switch to music without FairPlay restrictions. Shoppers themselves have also noticed songs briefly selling unprotected that weren't either from EMI or independents. More recently, the same site also believes Apple will quickly follow up the move with a promo campaign nicknamed the "12 Days of iTunes" that will let shoppers in France, Germany and the UK download an "unlimited" amount of content just after Christmas.


Read the full story over at AppleInsider.

We don't know about you but if this comes to pass tomorrow it'll make us very, very happy. DRM, even Apple's Fair Play, is onerous and completely unnecessary for the vast amount of people. Success stories like Apple's iTunes Music store show that when given the opportunity, most people are very willing to buy music legally and won't share/pirate digital content as the RIAA and the music industry would have us think. Sure, there will be those that do but treating the vast majority of honest people like thieves and criminals has been a slap to our collective face and no doubt contributed to the slide in sales for the big labels.

This of course is a rumor and should be viewed as such. Luckily, unlike most Apple rumors, we won't have to wait long to find out if it's true.

Tags:drm, rumor

Are you looking for a new Mac this holiday season? Perhaps a really nice gift for that special someone? Check out MacRumors Black Friday sales page. They've broken down the best deals on new iMac's, MacBooks, MacBook Pro's and iPods so you don't have to run around checking ads, visiting various websites, etc. Oh and if you're like my brother, who just bought a new MacBook Pro three days ago, sorry about your luck. You could've waited until today and saved an extra hunsky.

The Apple Store even has a few things on sale as well, so if you prefer to buy directly from our favorite fruit company, here you go.

Joseph Henry

Tags:macbookpro, macbook, deals, ipod, imac

MacWorld.com is running an excerpted version of MWJ's examination of Safari's new anti-phishing feature. The excerpt is at times a little deep but not so much that the average reader can't follow along. If you're discerning enough to be reading AYAAW then you're way above average so the article shouldn't pose a problem for you. Anyway, the excerpt is very interesting and highlights a problem with our favorite fruit branded company: transparency. It also goes into depth on Google's Safe Browsing technology and how Safari uses it in it's new anti-phishing feature.

MWJ has a problem with Apple's reluctance to tell it's users what it's doing with data transmitted from Safari to Google. In the conclusion they state:

This is not how companies like Apple are expected to behave towards their customers, even if Firefox already had the same feature. Mozilla is very clear about how Firefox does this. Apple refuses to say anything about how Safari does this, and for no other reason than that the company simply thinks so little of its customers that it doesn’t feel the need to keep them informed about data Safari transmits on their behalf. For a Web browser to do things like this without explicit documentation is inexcusable.

We’re not so sure we agree with the statement “the company simply thinks so little of its customers” but it would be nice if Apple were a little more forthcoming about issues dealing with user privacy. Don't take our word for it, though, read the article and come to your own conclusions. Then, if you have anything "above average" to say about it, post a comment.

Tags:security, phishing, trojans, malware

Apple debuted a new website Friday designed to help new iPhone owners get the most out of their phones. The "iPhone Your Life" site offers up app recommendations for:

• Around Town
• World Travel
• At Home
• Getting Things Done
• Fun and Games

There are also links to an iPhone Tips and Tricks section, App of the Week and Top Apps.

If you've owned your iPhone for awhile you probably won't find anything new and startling here but it seems like a pretty nice place for new owners.

Tags:3G, iphone

In case you haven't heard, Apple reported $7.9 billion in revenue last quarter and generated $1.14 billion in profits. That's a lot of doughnuts.

"Apple just reported one of the best quarters in its history, with a spectacular performance by the iPhone -- we sold more phones than RIM," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "We don't yet know how this economic downturn will affect Apple. But we're armed with the strongest product line in our history, the most talented employees and the best customers in our industry. And $25 billion of cash safely in the bank with zero debt."

MacRumors has the complete lowdown and breakdown of Apple's fourth quarter results.

John Gruber of Daring Fireball fame has posted an interesting piece on how the iPhone fits into all this.

The entire iPhone platform is only 15 months old. The cheapest model still costs $199. The room for growth in this market is unlike anything Apple has ever seen. So the question is: Despite continuing strong iPod sales and record-breaking Mac sales, how long until the iPhone is undeniably the primary product and platform made by Apple?

It's an interesting piece and well worth a read.

Tags:corporate, financials

Unless you're living under a rock you know Apple released iPhone/iPod Touch Firmware version 2.2 on Friday. The update brings enhancements to:

Google Maps

• Google Street View.
• Public Transit and Walking Directions.
• Share Location Via Email.

Mail

• Resolved isolated issues with scheduled fetching of email.
• Improved formatting of wide HTML email.

Safari

• Improved stability and performance.
• Rearranged menu bar to included both the Google Search box and the URL address.

Improved sound quality of visual voicemail messages.
Pressing the Home button from any Home screen takes you to the first Home screen.
Preferences to turn on/off auto-correction in Keyboard settings.
Direct downloading of Podcasts from the iTunes Music Store.

For all the details and a list of undocumented 2.2 features and enhancements read the MacRumors article.

Our favorite feature is the enhancement to the Home button. When you have app spread like we do this is a welcomed addition indeed. Below you find a few screen shots of the various enhancements, and if you haven't already done so, get to downloading version 2.2. We've experienced no downside to the update.

Tags:update, firmware, safari, mail, googlemaps

AppleInsider is reporting that the latest Leopard build seems to be geared toward improving MobileMe syncing with portables under various circumstances. The build also includes the usual laundry list of bug fixes. As of today we've not heard of any timetable for the release of the next Leopard update. We'll keep you posted.

Tags:OS X, leopard, mobileme

CNN's Fortune Magazine is speculating on who will be Steve Jobs successor. This is always a hot topic and one which analysts and industry observers tend to get excited about. You can't blame them, though. Thinking of an Apple post Jobs sends shivers down our collective AYAAW spine. It will happen someday, however, and speculation is always good fodder for pundits, Wall Street and Apple observers alike.

The big question is, of course, would Apple continue to thrive as the industry leader in design and innovation with Jobs gone? Who at Apple would be able to take the company reins without negatively affecting continued product innovation, financial growth and the stellar profits Apple has been posting quarter after quarter? We sure as heck don't know but after every MacWorld keynote, Developers Conference and/or product introduction where Jobs shares the stage, potential CEO successor names get thrown about. At this point in time, Furtune's Adam Lashinsky seems to have fingered the logical choice in Tim Cook. It's not the first time his name his name has come up in this discussion and it certainly won't be the last.

One surprising omission in the article is Phil Shiller, Apples Senior VP of WorldWide Product Marketing. Seems logical that a marketing guy should be included in any Apple successor discussion but Lashinsky must not think so.

Anyway, the article is a good read and we highly recommend it. It offers up some good insight on an Apple exec you don't often hear a lot about and why he may or may not be Jobs' successor.

Tags:steve jobs

Whew! I was worried about that: the iPhone being the leading handset purchased by adults in the third quarter that is. Really, I was losing sleep. Ok, in all seriousness, the iPhone overtaking Motorola's Razr is pretty big stuff and a testament to what a great piece of technology the iPhone really is. We already knew that the iPhone was crushing the Blackberry in satisfaction among the business crowd. Add this latest Razr tidbit to the mix and you've got definitive proof that the iPhone is already the technology and smart phone of tomorrow, and we lucky Apple iPhone users clutch it in our sweaty little palms today.

This news won't come as a surprise to anyone who actually use an iPhone everyday. After Apple fixed all the problems associated with the 2.0 debacle the iPhone, at least mine, has been nothing short of stellar. I've not experiences a single Silver Apple of Death screen since and I've not had to do even one restore and reset. Woo hoo!

If you look beyond the 8,000 Tip apps, 200 million Sudoku apps and the 225 "I have to take this call and oh by the way I need to leave" emergency bad date call apps the iPhone and the iTunes apps store have been an astonishing success. There is only one company that could've pulled this off and it's Apple. Don't argue Windoz fan boys you know it's true. Just as Microsoft brought affordable computing to billions (okay, the Windows experience can hardly be called computing) Apple has brought an amazing smart phone and application infrastructure to the masses. So go suck eggs Balmer!

The iPhone platform based on Leopard is truly a revolution. All hail the revolution (gratuitous Blue Oyster Cult link)!

Joe Henry

Tags:news

MacWorld's Jim Dalrymple is reporting that Apple has no plans for any hardware updates during the holiday season despite rumors stating the opposite. Dalrymple quotes Apple spokesman Bill Evans: "our holiday lineup is set". A number of Apple related rumor sites were reporting that Apple would release new iMacs and update Mac Minis. Also rumored were Mac Pros set to debut at MacWorld Expo in January.

So kiddies, looks like there won't be any updated or new Apple goodies under your Christmas tree this year. Don't let that stop Santa from leaving a new iPhone, iPod, or Mac in your stocking, however. Better get to writing that letter to Santa ASAP.

Tags:imac, macbook, macbookpro, iphone, ipod

If you're at all interested in Cocoa, Snow Leopard, 64-bit apps, Carbon and that type of goobly-gook, AppleInsider is once again running some nice articles that even the tech-jargon deprived, yours truly, can sort of understand. It's good stuff actually and well worth the read.

One thing I didn't know (ok there are a lot of things I don't know) is that the iPhone is fully Cocoaized. Actually, I'd never thought of it's OS as being Carbon, Cocoa, Vista, whatever. It just is unless it's acting up and then it's a &#$%@!

Apple to sweeten Snow Leopard with more Cocoa (AppleInsider)
Road to Mac OS X Snow Leopard: 64-bit to the Kernel (AppleInsider)

AppleInsider is one of my favorite rumor sites and they also do a bang up job explaining the more technical stuff. Now go do your homework, er... reading for the evening. There will be a quiz tomorrow.

Joseph Henry

Tags:OS X, snow leopard

Unless you've been living under a rock the past few weeks you know that Apple was planning to refresh its laptop line and today they did just that. All new MacBook 13" configurations feature new case designs (unibody aluminum "brick"), glossy glass displays, NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics processor and a new multi-touch glass trackpad/mouse.

New MacBook Pro's come with the new unibody case design, NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics processor. glossy displays and the new multi-touch glass trackpad/mouse. They also come with an extra graphics processor, the NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT, which can be turned on by the user to increase performance.

Apple also updated the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro 17", mostly just with better specs.

Apple also stated that they'll continue to sell an updated version of the white MacBook, that includes an 8X Superdrive, for $999.

New MacBook, MacBook Pro and MacBook Air specs:

The 2.0 GHz, 13-inch aluminum MacBook, for a suggested retail price of $1,299 (US), includes:

13.3-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1280 x 800 glossy display;
2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 3MB shared L2 cache;
1066 MHz front-side bus;
2GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, expandable to 4GB;
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics;
160GB serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
a slot-load 8X SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
Mini DisplayPort for video output (adapters sold separately);
built-in AirPort Extreme® 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
Gigabit Ethernet port;
built-in iSight video camera;
two USB 2.0 ports;
one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
glass Multi-Touch trackpad; and
60 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.
The 2.4 GHz aluminum MacBook, for a suggested retail price of $1,599 (US), includes:

13.3-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1280 x 800 glossy display;
2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 3MB shared L2 cache;
1066 MHz front-side bus;
2GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, expandable to 4GB;
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics;
250GB serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
a slot-load 8X SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
Mini DisplayPort for video output (adapters sold separately);
built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
Gigabit Ethernet port;
built-in iSight video camera;
two USB 2.0 ports;
one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
glass Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard; and
60 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.
Build-to-order options for the MacBook include the ability to upgrade to 4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, a 250GB 5400 rpm, 320GB 5400 rpm hard drive, a 128GB solid state drive, Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter, Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter (for 30-inch DVI display), Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter, Apple USB Modem, Apple Remote, Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter and the AppleCare® Protection Plan.

The 2.4 GHz, 15-inch aluminum MacBook Pro, for a suggested retail price of $1,999 (US), includes:

15.4-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1440 x 900 glossy display;
2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 3MB shared L2 cache;
1066 MHz front-side bus;
2GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, expandable to 4GB;
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics;
NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT discrete graphics with 256MB GDDR3 video memory;
250GB serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
a slot-load 8X SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
Mini DisplayPort for video output (adapters sold separately);
built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
Gigabit Ethernet port;
built-in iSight video camera;
two USB 2.0 ports;
one FireWire® 800 port;
ExpressCard/34 expansion card slot;
one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
glass Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard; and
85 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.
The 2.53 GHz aluminum MacBook Pro, for a suggested retail price of $2,499 (US), includes:

15.4-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1440 x 900 glossy display;
2.53 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 6MB shared L2 cache;
1066 MHz front-side bus;
4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM;
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics;
NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT discrete graphics with 512MB GDDR3 video memory;
320GB serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
a slot-load 8X SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
Mini DisplayPort for video output (adapters sold separately);
built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
Gigabit Ethernet port;
built-in iSight video camera;
two USB 2.0 ports;
one FireWire 800 port;
ExpressCard/34 expansion card slot;
one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
glass Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard; and
85 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.
Build-to-order options for the MacBook Pro include a 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, the ability to upgrade to 4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, 250GB 7200 rpm, 320GB 5400 rpm or a 320GB 7200 rpm hard drive, a 128GB solid state drive, Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter, Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter (for 30-inch DVI display), Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter, Apple USB Modem, Apple Remote, Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter and the AppleCare Protection Plan.

The 1.6 GHz MacBook Air, for a suggested retail price of $1,799 (US), includes:

13.3-inch widescreen LED-backlit high resolution 1280 x 800 glossy display;
1.6GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 6MB shared L2 cache;
1066 MHz front-side bus;
2GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM;
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics;
120GB serial ATA hard drive running at 4200 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
Mini DisplayPort for video output (adapters sold separately);
built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
built-in iSight video camera;
one USB 2.0 port;
one headphone port;
Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard; and
45 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.
The 1.86 GHz MacBook Air, for a suggested retail price of $2,499 (US), includes:

13.3-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1280 x 800 glossy display;
1.86 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 6MB shared L2 cache;
1066 MHz front-side bus;
2GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM;
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics;
128GB solid state drive;
Mini DisplayPort for video output (adapters sold separately);
built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
built-in iSight video camera;
one USB 2.0 port;
one headphone port;
Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard; and
45 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.
Build-to-order options and accessories for the MacBook Air include the MacBook Air SuperDrive, Apple USB Ethernet Adapter, Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter, Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter (for 30-inch DVI display), Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter, Apple USB Modem, Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter, Apple Remote and the AppleCare Protection Plan.

The 2.5GHz 17-inch MacBook Pro, for a suggested retail price of $2,799 (US), includes:

17-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1920 x 1200 glossy display;
2.5 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 6MB shared L2 cache;
800 MHz front-side bus;
4GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM;
NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics with 512MB with GDDR3 video memory;
320GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
a slot-load 8X SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
DVI output port for video output (VGA adapter included);
built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
Gigabit Ethernet port;
built-in iSight video camera;
three USB 2.0 ports;
one FireWire 800 port and one FireWire 400 port;
ExpressCard/34 expansion card slot;
one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard; and
85 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.
Build-to-order options for the 17-inch MacBook Pro include a 2.6 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, a 320GB 7200 rpm hard drive, a 128GB solid state drive, anti-glare display, Apple USB Modem, Apple Remote, Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter and the AppleCare Protection Plan.

Tags:new, announcement

Apple today released Security Update 2008-007 :

Security Update 2008-007 is recommended for all users and improves the security of Mac OS X. Previous security updates have been incorporated into this security update.

Click for more info.

Tags:update

MacRummors is reporting that Engadget and Gizmodo are posting images of an October 14th. "Notebook Event". The invitation simply states "The spotlight turns to notebooks". Is this just a refresh of existing models or might Apple unveil the long rumored "Brick" Macbooks/Macbook Pro's? We're betting on both.

Hey! Why'd they get invites and not us? Er, because they're Engadget and Gizmodo and we're AYAAW, you big dummy! Oh well, someday...

Tags:macbook, macbookpro, rumor, new

Apple today issued a recall for certain iPhone 3g Power Adapters. The adapters came with new iPhones and could be purchased separately as an accessory. The recall includes iPhone 3G's that were purchased in the US, Mexico, Canada, Japan and several Latin American countries. Here is the text of the recall notice:

CUPERTINO, California—September 19, 2008—Apple® today announced that under certain conditions the new ultracompact Apple USB power adapter’s metal prongs can break off and remain in a power outlet, creating the risk of electric shock.

Apple has received reports of detached prongs involving a very small percentage of the adapters sold, but no injuries have been reported.

Customer safety is always Apple’s top priority so it has voluntarily decided to exchange every ultracompact power adapter for a new redesigned adapter, free of charge. For more details on the exchange program please visit www.apple.com/support/usbadapter/exchangeprogram.

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market with its revolutionary iPhone.

iPhone 3G users can get replacements by filling out this web-based Exchange Program form or by requesting one at an Apple store starting October 10th.. You'll need your iPhone serial number which can be found on your iPhone under Settings>General or by plugging the phone into your Mac and opening iTunes to your iPhone screen. Apple states:

Users with ultracompact power adapters should immediately stop using them until they exchange them for a new, redesigned ultracompact adapter.

In the meantime, they should charge their iPhone 3G by connecting it to their computer with the USB cable that came with their iPhone or by using a standard-sized Apple USB Power Adapter (with fold up prongs) or with a third party adapter designed to work with the iPhone, such as a car charger.

For more information see this Apple support article.

Tags:recall, hardware, 3G

Kevin Rose was spot on with his predictions as Apple announced immediate availability of new Nanos and iTunes 8.

The new Nano is as Rose described and actually looks like a pretty decent upgrade. The screen is larger and they come in a lot more colors. The new iPod is also sporting an enhanced user interface and includes an accelerometer (like the iPhone and iPod Touch) that detects tilt. Shake the new Nano and your music gets shuffled. The 8GB model will set you back $149 and is available today at the Apple store. The 16GB model will list at $199 and should be available next week.

The iPod Touch also saw a refresh today and according to Jobs and Apple is "the funnest iPod ever". It sports external volume controls, Nike support, a built in speaker and the same curved back as the iPhone 3G. Battery life for the new touch is said to be 36 hours for music, 6 hours for video. The new Touch will set you back $229 for the 8GB model, $299 for the 16GB and $399 for the 32GB model.

iTunes (press release, download) is also pretty much as Rose described and includes the new grid view for browsing your music collection. You can view the grid by album, artist, genres or composer. iTunes 8 also includes the rumored "Genius" playlist. If you want to watch your TV shows in HD iTunes 8 has you covered there as well. HD TV shows will cost $2.99. The download weighs in at 55.9 MB's and requires Quicktime 7.5.5 which is available via Software Update.

Jobs also announced iPhone Firmware 2.1 but alas it won't be available until Friday sometime. Apple says the new firmware will significantly increase battery life, address dropped calls, make backups faster (Yeah!) and supposedly fix app crashes. Other bug fixes are included as well.

Lastly, Apple announced new in-ear headphones that sport a remote in the cord as well as a mic. The new earbuds list for $79 and are supposed to offer superior sound.

So there you have it kiddies. iTunes has uploaded my music info to Apple and I now have a Genius pane opened on the right side of iTunes. I'll post back with thoughts on this latter.

Joe Henry

Tags:announcement, new, accessories

So there! I stuck to my guns and perhaps I'll be vindicated. To get the full details of what they are now predicting, check out the full article here.

The best news for me, however, is they are now predicting iPhone Firmware 2.1. I just spent another grueling day restoring my iPhone from the dreaded Gray Apple Screen Freeze (see our 3G Survival Guide for more info). Although my phone is now functional iTunes doesn't recognize it other than to offer restore it to factory settings or to restore from a backup. I ALREADY DID THAT! Man oh man I'm hoping version 2.1 brings an end to this very unstable and bug infested iPhone OS.

Those are strong words, I know, but I've never had to deal with anything like this from an Apple product. Sure most OS updates bring a random bug or instability but none that I can remember have ever been as bad as iPhone Firmware 2.0. The Gray Apple Screen Freezes, random reboots, corrupt backups, and the list goes on. Yes I still love my iPhone but I could certainly do without the crapware that is iPhone Firmware 2.0.

I'm keeping all of my appropriate appendages crossed for Tuesday.

Joe Henry

Tags:announcement, rumor

Ars Technica isn't betting on iTunes 8 being introduced at Tuesday's "Let's Rock" event. David Chartier, writing for Ars Technica doesn't give any reasons for the lack of faith of version 8's intro.

The one thing we aren't betting on is seeing iTunes 8 introduced on September 9. Call it a hunch, or call it something else, but we don't plan on waking up Software Update just yet.

We're still predicting an iTunes 8 intro here at And Yet Another Apple Weblog. Not that that means anything as we have no insider info, no insiders, no anything. Call it a hunch or something else. Personally, I do plan on waking up Software Update Tuesday afternoon.

The thing is, Ars Technica has a pretty good track record for predicting what's going on and what will go on with Apple.

Here's our final prediction for Tuesday: Apple will or won't announce new products and or services and they will or will not get a bunch of free publicity and media coverage. Actually no matter what happens on Tuesday they'll get a bunch of free media coverage. That's just how it works.
Joe Henry

Tags:itunes, rumor

The blogosphere is abuzz trying to predict what exactly Apple is going to unveil at next Tuesdays "Let's Rock" event. One thing most places aren't predicting is a subscription service. In fact, according to CNET's Greg Sandoval

"My sources say that they don't expect Apple to announce anything to do with music content, and they are sure Apple won't be rolling out an iTunes music subscription service."

Read the full article here.

This doesn't surprise us here at AYAAW and it shouldn't surprise you either. Although Steve Jobs has gone back on things he said Apple wouldn't do in the past we just can't believe a subscription music service would be one of them. Apple and iTunes are doing very well all by themselves selling music outright and becoming the number one retail music seller in the U.S. so there doesn't seem to be any compelling reason to roll out a subscription service. Other subscription services don't seem to be doing all that great and are dwarfed by Apple's share of the retail music business, so it just doesn't make sense.

This last spring, however, there were rumors flying around that Apple would offer iTunes Unlimited: a subscription service whereby the entire iTunes library would be available as an add-on to the purchase of an iPod or iPhone and subscribers could download and keep the music as long as they owned the device. Read more about this rumor at Ars Technica. It's an interesting idea.

Most rumor sites are predicting new iPods and iTunes 8 and we think those are the most likely to be true. New Macbooks are also rumored to be part of the event but we don't buy that. This is a music event and as such won't include any hardware refreshes other than iPods. Still, it is Apple and Steve Jobs does so like to surprise.

Joe Henry
AYAAW

Tags:itunes

Apple sent out invitations to media outlets for a special event to be held on September 9th. at 10:00 a.m. Pacific. The event, titled “Let’s Rock” is being held at San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.

I’m willing to bet that a new iPod and iTunes 8 will be revealed. Yeah I know, neither one are a big stretch but I’m not much of a gambler.

Alas, AYAAW wasn’t invited so we’ll just have to watch the other Apple media outlets on the day of the event. Stay tuned for more info as it becomes available.

Joe Henry
AYAAW

Tags:itunes

Peter Burrows, writing for Business Week, reports on Apple’s rollout of the iPhone to more and more countries. Prior to today, the iPhone was offered in 22 countries which, according to this MacDailyNews article, put it in front of 320 million potential subscribers. Today, Apple expanded that number by 21 more countries and another 290 million potential subscribers.

According to Burrows’ article a person familiar with Apple’s production plans has stated that Apple is planning on manufacturing 40-45 million iPhones through August of 2009. This represents a 52% increase over the estimates of Gene Munster, analyst for Piper Jaffray. Given that Munster’s predictions are significantly more optimistic than most analysts, Apple is indeed planning an ambitious rollout.

Burrows’ goes on to say that Apple’s success with its ambitious expansion plans hinges on :

1 Apple’s and AT&T’s ability to speed up in-store activations.
2 Apple’s ability to address usability problems, the most significant of which is the problems some users are experiencing with the 3G network.
3 Apple’s ability to address component supply issues.

There are signs that all of these constraints are being addressed and Burrows concludes that even if Apple can’t meet its own lofty goals, it is likely to meet the average of most estimates.

The article is a good read and you can read it in its entirety here.

Joe Henry

Tags:iphone

AppleInsider's Sam Oliver is reporting that Royal Bank of Canada analyst Mike Abramsky is predicting a record smashing quarter for Apple and for Mac shipments to be well above predictions. The record setting pace would put Apple inline to show a 44% year-over-year growth and 3.04 million Macs shipped in the quarter ending in September.

Specifically, Abramsky pointed to "unprecedented intentions" on the part of consumers during what has historically been only Apple's second strongest Mac quarter. His firm's study found that 34 percent of respondents intend to purchase a Mac notebook in the next 90 days, while another 30 percent plan to buy a Mac desktop."We forecast Apple's global PC share to rise to 4.2 percent [in 2009], from 2.9 percent [in 2007]," he said, adding that every 25 basis points of market share gain will equate to $1 billion in incremental revenue and $0.15 in per share earnings

The report sites two probable causes for the growth: Apples back to school promotion that offers a $299 rebate for a free iPod Touch to qualified educational customers purchasing qualified Mac system, and the so called "iPhone Halo Effect".

Oliver reports that of the analysts AppleInsider tracks, Abramsky is one of the most accurate. For more details read the full AppleInsider article.

Joe Henry

Tags:desktops, laptops

In a new report authored by ASCI and the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business (report opens as a pdf once you click on the link in the right hand column of the page), Apple is surging ahead of all competitors in customer satisfaction. The report states:

The personal computer industry suffers a second consecutive drop in satisfaction, falling 1% to 74 and losing all gains made since 2005. Apple defies the industry by moving in the opposite direction and posting its largest gain ever to 85, a new all-time high for the industry. The 8% leap puts 10 points between Apple and its nearest rival, one of the largest gaps between first and second in any industry measured by ACSI. As Apple’s satisfaction improves, so too have its sales, market share, net income, and stock price. “It’s hard not to be impressed with Apple,” said Prof. Fornell. “This is product extension at its best where the new products, iPod and iPhone, are helping bring new customers to existing computer products. The fact that Apple is not dependent on the Windows Vista operating system hasn’t hurt either.” The industry aggregate decline is largely for Windows-based machines –Hewlett-Packard (73), Gateway (72), and Compaq (70) each sink 4%. The exception is Dell – up 1% to 75.

This shouldn't be news to anyone but with Windows users switching in droves it is worth taking note. I do love the last par there about how the industry aggregate decline is due to Windows. That makes me smile.



Joe Henry

Tags:reports

Apple released the next version of its iPhone firmware yesterday. Apple’s description for the update is “Bug Fixes”. Well that explains a lot. I suspect its the recently rumored 3G reception patch. As I can’t get 3G where I live its not an issue for me. Hopefully some of my issues will be addressed but I’m not holding my breath. I’m downloading the 248.7MB update as I type this and will report on anything that jumps out at me right away.

Keep your fingers, toes and any other applicable appendages crossed!

Joe Henry
AYAAW

Tags:3G, 1st. gen

I just received an email from Apple stating that they're giving me an additional 60 day extension to my subscription because of all the problems they're having. This is in addition to the 30 days they gave us a few weeks ago. Although I haven't had nearly the problems many MobleMe users have had I'll take the 90 day extension. Here's the text of the email:

We have already made many improvements to MobileMe, but we still have many more to make. To recognize our users' patience, we are giving every MobileMe subscriber as of today a free 60 day extension. This is in addition to the one month extension most subscribers have already received. We are working very hard to make MobileMe a great service we can all be proud of. We know that MobileMe's launch has not been our finest hour, and we truly appreciate your patience as we turn this around.

Seems like they're really trying to make things right with their customers. I'm happy with that.

Joe Henry

Tags:mobileme

Appleinsider's Sam Oliver is reporting that Leopard 10.5.5 has been seeded to developers. It looks to squash more than a few bugs and weighs in at a hefty 330 Mb's. The report states the build, 9F13, comes with no know issues and focuses on maintenance and stability. Apparently there are tweaks to iCal, Mail, Address Book, the MobileMe Pref pane,  the BSD Kernel itself and more. 

I can't say that I suffer from any of the bugs mentioned in the article, so although I'm always ready to jump on just about any Apple update, this ones a ho-hummer for me.  No doubt those afflicted will welcome the update and you can be assured that as soon as its available I'll be installing it and reporting back here. I'll take the bullet for ya'll. 

Now would Apple please, pretty please, pretty pretty please, update iPhone 2.0.1? More on my iPhone 3G saga will follow in the coming days. Stay tuned!

Joe Henry

Tags:leopard, OS X