Archive for the 'Analysis & Commentary' Category
Could it be the reason so many in the media and bloggers in general have had a hard time wondering what will be announced at Macworld is because we’ve all forgotten about…the Beatles? The catalog is prime for release and just in the last year alone, there has been indicators pointing to the fleetly release of the most sought after catalog in the music world. EMI’s experiment with DRM-less protected music on iTunes under the “plus” banner has done the label very well. EMI is the parent label to the Beatles catalog. Those close to Apple Records, Ltd. have publicly stated that all songs by the greatest and most successful bands of all time is coming. Not may be, but is coming. It’s also well known how huge of a Beatles fan Steve Jobs. Look at what was on his iPhone last years Macworld (pictured). Top it all off with the fact that now all the solo material of each Beatles member is available on iTunes today. It just seems Macworld is ripe for an incredible announcement next week.
If Apple, EMI and Apple Records, Ltd. announce the release of the entire Beatles catalog next week from San Francisco, this news will saturate not only the tech media but the media at large. It will trump CES, again, and put Apple on front pages of magazines and newspapers for weeks to come. It’ll also give us all a day of rest from Brittany news!
Things just seem very ideal for the Beatles to go digital and iTunes is the premium place to do it. While it has been well documented that the Beatles will be widely available, Apple’s relationship with EMI is obviously strong and Apple’s recent settlement with Apple Records, Ltd. was undisclosed to the public. Want to bet Steve didn’t put some limited exclusive clause in it for the digital versions of that honey pot? It’s just, soooo Steve.
Yes, folks, I do believe Billy Shears will be raising a smile next week from Moscone! 
The rumors fly and speculation rattles the browsers of readers around the world. Just what could possibly be at this years Macworld? The Macbook and Macbook Pro line have been updated. Not much going on for the Mac Pro. The iMac just had its huge shin-dig. The Mac mini was quietly bumped up a notch. The iPods re-pazzazed just before the holidays. Leopard finally hit the store shelves. So what could be left? iPhone 2.0? Yes, but it’ll only be an announcement (like last years.) The show won’t hold up on just that alone this year. So there’s got to be something more. But what?
Well, let me take a stab at it. See if you agree…and see in a couple of weeks if I’m right!
- iPhone Firmware Update (v1.1.3): It’s already leaked on the Internet and some of the features have been revealed. Better Google Maps with “Find Me” using cell tower triangulation that has been testing on other cell phones for the past few months looks to be one such feature. Since this Google Maps beta has been in the wild for some time, it was a given to find this in the next update.
Copy and Paste. Probably the most requested feature since the release of the iPhone itself. While not found on the leaked 1.1.3 verision, MacScoop is reporting that it’s in there. Most likely, Gear Live’s 1.1.3 copy it has been showing the world is an early build (note it has covered up the build number with the users finger in the screen shot on Gear Live’s site.)
Gear Live is also stating there is no Bluetooth 2.0 (AD2P) support. Thus, no stereo support. This has been another big request and I think it’ll be in the final release of 1.1.3.
Also shown by Gear Live is a major update to SMS. With group messaging now available, mass sends will be made easier. But, no word on MMS support and I think it’s unlikely.
Calendar Attendee Notification. Man, oh man, I hope this in the update. How can you have a calendar program and hope to be used in the enterprise if you can’t notify others in that enterprise of a new meeting? iCal has it, why not the iPhone calendar? Please Apple, give us something for the business world.
While there’s speculation from the business community of Exchange Server support, truth is, Apple has little to gain to support Microsoft’s MAPI-based mail server. With the release of third-party application support, Apple will let another company do it. I’d say by summer it’ll happen and it will cost you about $50 to install it on your iPhone when it does.
Cinema HD Display: With no major update to Apple’s LCD displays in quite some time and with the price drop last summer, I’d be surprised if this doesn’t happen. Maybe a bump up to 36″ screen (or maybe even 40″) to compete with Dell, Sony, and HP for the computer-slash-HD market. Difference will be that Apple’s HD sets will be true HD and beyond the other guys that only manage to squeeze 1080 lines of resolution out of its offerings. This may also be another way to give Apple TV a larger boost in some packaging deal as well.
I’d be surprised not to see built-in iSight either. Given the iMac and both the MacBook and MacBook Pro have them in their screens, it just seems a given to find them in the updated Cinema HD Displays. The question will be if the next level has been taken in it and something new and special has been added to the mix like widescreen or higher resolution for LAN chatting.
iTunes Movie Rentals: Leaks and speculation and just plain, “Apple has to support this eventually” logic seems to point to the fact that Apple indeed will embrace movie rentals via the iTunes Store. With many articles now all over the Internet relating to Fox’s 20th Century Fox inking a deal with Apple, I’d say expect some ability to rent a few Fox movies in January with more coming soon after.
What’s interesting to note about the rental chatter is the lack of a certain other studio. One which Steve Jobs himself has a bit of some say with: Disney. I don’t think 20th Century Fox will get all the lime light at the Stevenotes come January 14th. I’m sure we’ll hear about the ability to rent High School Musical 2 along with all of Steve’s wonderful animation films from Pixar. I’d be surprised if only Fox was on the ticket when the horse gates opened. Don’t be surprised to find a third studio in the mix, too. Universal? Nah.
High Definition Optical Drives (HD DVD / Blu-ray): All I have to say on this one is, “What’s the deal, Steve?” Now how can Jobs looks at the media with a straight face for the last couple of years and call Apple the digital hub and yet not offer support for high definition optical drives? Understanding that Sony has some pretty stringent requirements for its Blu-ray, there really isn’t a problem with HD DVD other than Microsoft’s in love with it. Is this going to turn into a one-button mouse thing, Steve? Come on, I want some high-def movies on my 30″ Cinema HD screen! Now I understand there is limited support for the drives through third-party hardware manufacturers such as the beloved OWC, but there still is no way to play those movies. Those drives are for mere data purposes only. I want my MTV…movie in HD!
Those are my predictions. Granted, a couple are already seemingly strong rumors due to leaks, but I would have had them on the list without those leaks. I’m sure there’s something I’m missing, as are we all, since Steve loves to through curve balls all the time. I’m looking forward to that pitch.
All through December my wife picked up on my nudging hints of her getting an iPhone for Christmas. Her responses were always, “No, it’s too expensive,” or, “I don’t need one.” But that one time she was looking at my Inbox while I was at the Apple Store picking up myself the Shure iPhone adapter and the receipt came in, she said she was excited when she saw it appear right there before her eyes. I called her on her excitement and teased, “See, you do want one!” “No, no, no, I don’t,” was her poor poker face reply.
Well, needless to say, I did buy her one, from the AT&T store so no receipts would wind up in my Inbox for her to find, and sure enough, she lit up like a Christmas tree when she saw the iPhone box peering out from under the wrapping paper.
The first thing she just sucked onto like a junkie? SMS. Who would have ever figured that my wife would become an SMS junkie but by the end of Christmas Day, she had probably sent me more text messages than I had received from my field crew the previous two weeks! I have found that since our oldest is starting to learn how to spell that SMS makes for a good way to communicate things to my wife right before her ears. Parenting through short messaging. Brilliant.
I got nervous on the SMS thing, thinking my wife had already used all her alloted 200 message, so I contacted AT&T six days after Christmas. She had already sent 119 messages when the account was looked up! And since her account was being pro-rated, she had long gone over the limit. Thankfully, the customer service rep was on it and caught it when I told him all those where from/to me only. “Really? We have an unlimited plan for in-network messaging for just five dollar more,” he told me. “Dude, sign me up yesterday,” I told him!
Her next discovery was the Podcasts. Now were ever she is, she can stuff in her white ear buds and start listening to something encouraging from John MacArthur or listen to the previous Sunday’s sermon for true digestion for the week.
Along with Podcasts, she has also latched on quiet nicely to the iTunes Store. I’m wondering why I got the $50 iTunes card for Christmas when she alone has spent $40 in a week on her iPhone alone. Yes, iTunes on the iPhone is dangerous. You’re such a smug, Steve! 
The camera is another favorite along SMS for my dearest. She says it takes better pictures than our Nikon S1 point-and-shoot. In perfect conditions, it does take remarkable pictures, but my money is still on the Nikon for overall quality. I think what captures her, forgive the pun, is its ease of use, extreme convenience, and ability to quickly add photos of the day to iPhoto. No sweat photo taking.
With the inclusion of YouTube, well, things were just so completed for her and her iPhone. Watching everything under the sun (she found this really funny comedian ventriloquist that has a terrorist dummy…it is a total gag!) from TV shows to trailers to just off the wall stuff, she just loves, loves YouTube. Heck, she doesn’t even watch it on her Mac but the iPhone? As Vanilla Ice use to say, “Yup, yup.”
Other new loves are Google Maps and Safari. With the ability to easily find a store and it’s phone number within a few seconds and then being able to add it as a contact with one tap is just a fun exercise for my wife.
She chuckled at Stocks, questioned where Copy and Paste were, and is getting over the initial typing learning curve, but those are her only complaints. She absolute adores her iPhone. When I asked her if she liked her Christmas present the other day while she cheerfully played on it and responded, “No. I love, LOVE, love it!”
Just tonight she was telling me how remarkable the phone is. She teased me and told me that I don’t appreciate mine as much as she does her because I don’t talk about it enough. I reminded her that it was me that got it for her because I knew just how much she would indeed love it.
I guess to basically summarize it all, we could end on what Rebecca, her sister, said two nights ago. “It’s a portable computer!” Indeed, it is. Why would you need anything else?
Nearly twelve months and counting. That’s the first time I saw Skitch at Macworld Expo. It started off as a tease and now has been a private beta for almost a year. When we say private, we mean private. Not that we’re big names or anything, but we’d at least think we could get in on this beta after sending a couple of requests in. We haven’t. From what it sounds like, only those with connections or well known names get in on this. For example, Merlin Mann of Mac Break Weekly has been using the beta from the start. He went on and on (listen…about 42 minutes in) about how awesome this application was…back in the early summer. We don’t doubt Merlin’s impressions, in fact, more times than not, we agree nearly 100% on like matters, but what has happened in those other six months? You really can’t blame Leopard as Plasq had to have a beta of that to work with. Even if not, compatibility issues shouldn’t have been too difficult to sort out. My SnapNDrag works just fine without an update for Leopard.
We love Merlin (we miss you on MBW) and no offense to him, but man, Plasq, where’s the goods? How long can one company have a product in beta? Publicly? Shesh, Apple’s Leopard was in beta about the same amount of time and it’s a freakin’ entire operating system! What’s your excuse?
From what I saw at Macworld Expo and what I’ve read and heard, Skitch sounds to be the best screen capture utility made. Note I didn’t say out there. It’s caused me to hold off on buying other products, but at this rate, it’s pretty much time to move on and forget. I’m sure Skitch will see daylight, maybe, at Macworld Expo in January, but after this long delay, it just doesn’t seem to be that big of a deal anymore. It may have been much wiser for Plasq to keep its mouth shut on this last year and then surprised us with it this year. Basic marketing trick, guys.
For the last two weeks, I’ve been a unhappy participant of the wonderful volley of the finger pointing game. It all started when my Entourage events, which are put into my iCal calendar via Microsoft’s Sync Service, disappeared from iCal one day. Yes, that day was when I accepted the 10.5.1 patch update from Software Update. Since iCal broke with Apple’s patch, I called it up for help. After enjoying an hour conversation and being bumped up to level two, the final answer came to, “Call Microsoft.” Yes, it was Microsoft’s fault.
Okay, I was game. I had nothing better to do than waste another hour of my time with another computer software giant. Why not? SInce the writers strike had sapped all of my existing fun and joy out since Michael and his office staff were no longer around to make me giggle, what did I have to lose? So Microsoft I called and Microsoft I explained my problem and Microsoft actually laughed — I kid you not, the support guy laughed! — and asked me why I was calling it with an Apple application (iCal) problem. So for amusements sake, remember this is the only reason I was performing this exercise, I explained how the data was using Microsoft’s Sync Service and thus Apple believed it was a Microsoft problem. After confirming with me that everything worked prior to the 10.5.1 patch, I was told, “Call Apple.” Joy.
So, having little of my life left of any true value anymore, I once again called Apple. This time I was able to enjoy Spanish music for nearly two hours before someone picked up. But with a quick explanation of my little journey, I was told without a doubt this was a Microsoft issue. Umm-hmm.
Well, if you read my previous post, Is Leopard Apple’s Vista, then you’d know I ended up going back to the more stable 10.5.0. When I had let Microsoft’s Sync Service do it’s thing for a while, I opened iCal out of curiosity. Yup, there was all my events. Go figure. I knew it would be there and why it is, neither Microsoft nor Apple know. Sadly, I’ll probably lose it again when 10.5.2 comes out, unless, that is, Entourage 2008 is on my hard drive first and Microsoft improves Sync Service. We’ll see…
What’s with this cat? Apple had two years to make it happen as good as Tiger and yet, things all over the hard drive don’t spin like they should. While I’m not quite prepared to call this a Vista issue like some are, I am disappointed. Ironically, I’m more grieved with Apple’s update, 10.5.1, than the out-of-the-box version. As previously blogged, the update does more harm than good. Constant crashes, complaints of applications not responding to log outs, and permission issues, Apple’s update to fix its network copy bug is just horrible. I couldn’t believe that Apple’s very own iMovie 08 would not open for the life of me after installed last week. I never did get it to open under 10.5.1. Carbon Copy Cloner made a perfect copy of my not-so perfect install and I went back to 10.5.0. Things are better but still, minor issues are there.
Now Oliver Rist at PCMAG.COM has a whole different feeling on Leopard. He thinks Apple pulled a Vista. While his article has some valid points, I find it a bit comical to go that far. His first point is the “wait for the service pack” before you install it. Since I’ve already established the 10.5.1 is actually worse than 10.5.0, and since it only corrects the network copy bug with a few other minor fixes, this already is untrue. Granted, it kind of puts more credence into his statement, but only at face value. The truth is (and by the way, NEVER move files people, COPY and you’ll be just fine), Vista has been out just nearly a year now and there are still tons and tons of issues that the upcoming SP1 will supposedly to fix. The number one issue with Vista is hardware. No one can get even peripheral less than a year old to work in Vista. Ah, last I checked, this isn’t an issue in Leopard. Read the comments in Rist’s article and you’ll find one poster stating that he used his PowerBook (Apple stopped making these nearly three years ago) to upgrade to Leopard and then download drivers for his Vista machine!
Other complaints from Rist include “useless” visual effects. He thinks Apple’s translucent Finder menu bar is very much like Vista’s all-over-the-place translucent borders and title bars. I agree with Rist, Aero is horrible. I turn it off any Vista machine that I must work on. Apple’s single bar on the top is not that bad. Unlike Aero, it actually grows on you. Rist also poo-poos the Dock and I do agree, the dinky shinny star as a running application indicator is a poor choice for a company known for it’s expertise in user interfaces. The reflective Dock, though, ain’t that big of deal to complain about.
Other issues, such as networking (outside of my fluke first install, I’ve had zero issues with networking), and Rist’s whining of Time Machine as a poor bundled app, again, does not make this a Vista comparison.
In summary, I agree, Leopard has its issues and I am quite annoyed with Apple for allowing this to happen; however, Vista it ain’t. When a multi-billion corporation has nearly seven years to update it’s operating system, the mistakes should not be as great as it is with Vista. There is not a mass exodus of Mac users returning to Tiger as there are Vista users running back to eXPerience (remember that? ) With major PC manufacturers going back to Windows XP as a pre-install choice and Vista installs with a “Go Back to Previous Version” options, I really can’t see how anyone could honestly call Leopard Apple’s Vista. No, Microsoft has earned its smelly fish of an operating system all by itself.
I don’t get it, but I’ve had more headaches with Leopard since installing it than I did with Tiger the entire time it lived on my Mac Pro. From permission issues that neither Disk Utility from the DVD, Onyx, or Mac Pilot could resolve to crashing programs left and right to my iTunes now telling me it can not sync my Contacts because it is unable to merge my data (which gets a zero hit on Apple’s support site,) I’m starting to feel like I’m running Windows again. Shesh, this is the kind of pain I expect from Microsoft, not Apple.
When I first installed Leopard shortly after its release via Archive and Install, my NAS (Network Attached Storage) drive would not come up in the Shared section. I could ping it, I could access it via Safari, I just couldn’t get to it via SMB. When I called Apple Support, not even Tier 2 could help. I was then told that it would be “sent up” and I would get a call back in a day or two. Thank God I didn’t bank on that. Three weeks later, still no call back. Ugh. A Format and Install fixed that issue.
After that, then I couldn’t upgrade programs, access files, and on and on and on because of permission issues. Even when I took ownership of all the files and Applications, I still would receive errors. It was maddening! So I did a Carbon Copy Cloner of the system, redid the Format and Install and then opted for the migrate procedure. That resolved the permission issues.
Now I’m left with crashing applications and this new iTunes issue. Why it will not sync my Entourage data, I don’t know. It worked fine in the last two messed up Leopard installs. What changed here? Oh ya, iCal no longer shows my Entourage events but mysteriously, all the Birthdays do (which come from Entourage.) Go figure. Ugh.
So, after blowing away backup folders in the Library and reseting sync logs in .Mac, nothing seems to work. I’m stuck trying to figure this out on my own until I break down and call Apple again and see if this time, maybe, they can help.
You know, I’ve heard a lot of people having no issues with Leopard and I think for the most part it is a fine upgrade; however, with all the issues I’ve had, I’m holding off on my MacBook Pro, PowerBook, and Mac mini upgrades. One headache is all I need right now.
Apple. What’s up? Why in three months all we have seen added to the feature list of the iPhone is some way for you to make more money and that’s it? Where’s the copy-and-paste? Full Exchange server support? vCal notices for new appointments to meeting attendees? Landscape mode for e-mail? Ringtones in your Bluetooth ear set? (Man, you’ve charged $2 for it, why not let us live a little?) Speaking of Bluetooth, how ’bout full support of the protocol? You know, “Beam Contact to Other iPhone”.
No, oddly in the last three months, all Apple really has done is fix bugs, disable custom ringtones (twice), bricked unlocked phones, and given users the iTunes Store. That’s it. Forget all these wish lists floating around the Internet. Forget the fact cooperate users have asked for more business support. Nope, the honeymoon is over and now it’s time to make AT&T happy. That’s about it.
This attitude begs the question. Is version 1.1.1 worthy of an upgrade? Like Sony’s PSP updates that broke homebrew hacks two years ago, Apple’s latest update prevents third-party applications from functioning including SIM unlocking software. Is a double-tap space bar really that cool? I don’t think so and I’m betting not many others feel the same way as well. In fact, if you think about it, none of the updates have been worthy of “gotta have” updates. It’s really quite funny if you think of it.
Apple wants to get peoples iPhones back in its control, yet it hasn’t given any incentive to do so! For me, custom ringtones is way more valuable than being able to buy David Matthews at Starbucks. I can buy him on Amazon — cheaper — when I get home. (Read more.) Nothing in any of these updates out weighs the advantages I get from staying with 1.0.2 and using all the wonderful third-party applications out there. If Apple doesn’t want to listen to its customers, that’s okay, we don’t have to listen to it. There’s no need to have any particular version installed to sync at this point and thus no reason to upgrade to the Evil 1.1.1. Now of course, Apple can really dig a hole for itself and force users to upgrade in order to continue syncing, but that would also require an iTunes upgrade. No, for now, I’m happy, well, kind of, with 1.0.2.
I actually rely on my custom ringtone to audible identify if I need to pull my iPhone out of my holster or not to answer the call or let it go to voicemail. I highly doubt I’ll ever see any song from Donut Man or Boney M as an iTunes Store download. But because those two artists have songs that identify two particular people perfectly, I’ll stick with iToner and version 1.0.2 on my iPhone. But, give me vCal and true Exchange sync support and then I’ll gladly find something on the iTunes store for those two suckers of my contacts. But as history is showing, I don’t think I’ll have to worry about that for a loooong time.
Remember the good ol’ days when Steve Jobs was all about a good joke and hacking? Like his failed graduation middle-finger banner that was to wish all the on lookers good luck in the coming year, Jobs has failed to consider all the details once again. With Apple lieutenants shooting off their mouths about how it doesn’t care about third-party apps to Jobs himself calling this hacking issue a “cat and mouse” game, Mr. once iCEO is loosing sight of his roots. There was once a Steve Jobs that didn’t care about a record company called Apple Records, Limited or a phone company called Bell while he and Apple co-founder Steve “Woz” used a “blue box” to make free phone calls to where ever. When faced with possible jail time with some local Bay Area cops one very late night with the now famous blue box, Jobs was relieved to have escaped justice and still have use of his box without fear of it being bricked.
Now decades later, the Zen man Jobs himself has a whole new outlook on things. Never mind the fact that Jobs once was able to call anywhere in the world on Ma Bells tab without a feeling of guilt in his bones. Nope, Jobs now wants all-yall that freed your iPhone to be punished for it. Screw you! That’s the message Mr. Jobs is sending nice and loud and believe you me, it’s coming in clear.
What happened, Steve? Maybe a few dollars in the Apple bank account made the difference? When it was you ripping off a big company, that was okay, but now that your company is the one getting ripped, different ringtone, huh? With all the “enlightenment” and other new age stuff Jobs has been known to embrace, it makes you wonder if this is just some bad trip like he had once experienced in the early 70s. I can understand removing the ability to unlock a phone, but to brick one? Man, that’s bad karma, brother. To also flaunt how your phone runs on OS X and then prevent others from exploiting its power, not cool, hommie. Not cool at all. No, this isn’t the Steve Jobs that started Apple with another buddy in his garage. This is a cooperate Jobs that has more similarities to his arch rival in Redmond than the guy that once loved hanging out with Capitan Crunch.
Well, looks like Universal had a trick card up its sleeve when it “left” iTunes for Amazon. (It really didn’t leave, but rather stated it would be selective in material available on iTunes for the future.) Many thought it was going to an “Unboxed” formula with music downloads on Amazon but I must say, Amazon’s MP3 Download service is mighty fine. Fine indeed. No DRM and with a bit rate of 256 kbps, this looks like it has a good start out of the, um, box. Add the fact that you can use Amazon’s MP3 Downloader, both for the Mac and Windows, that automatically adds all purchases to your iTunes library, and now you have a bona fide contender for an iTunes Store competitor. Yeah!
Most songs come in at 89 cents and albums at $8.99 (USD). This is a dime and dollar difference from iTunes. I’ve found other albums that are at the five dollar mark making Amazon’s service a first stop for me before making any music purchases. What I love about this service is the ability to pay less than $9.99 per album than if I went to iTunes. I love the irony in Steve Jobs “one price” model and yet iTunes Store is littered like the Las Vegas Strip with high priced trash all over it. I still can remember the first time I tripped over an $18 album. And yes, I ended up purchasing it on CD from Amazon for $11.99 shipped. Now, in some cases, I can get it cheaper…downloaded!
I must say that I do love the iTunes Store. It’s a one stop place for most of my (DRM-free) music shopping. But with Amazon’s downloader and cheaper prices, I’m going to go here every time first. If the song or album is not available or is more expensive than iTunes (which I doubt will ever happen,) then I’ll hit iTunes. Thankfully, I once again have a choice and I intend to fully use it. Just like the old days of going to Tower Records, Rainbow Records, or the Record Factory, to find the best deal on Billy Squire’s Don’t Say No, I can now shop around “town”.
This of course gives Steve Jobs a problem that he’ll have to re-evaluate his pressure hold on the music industry. While it’s fairly common knowledge that Apple really makes very little on music purchase from iTunes, variable pricing may be something Apple will be forced into accepting with the advent of the Amazon store.