Friday, January 25, 2008

[Op/Ed.] WHAT YOU TALKIN' 'BOUT WILLIS?

The way that people act on the internet these days in regards to things they like and dislike is pretty shameful. I'd like to believe that this place was once a great place to get objectivity and thoughtful commentary on new products. However after reading many different newsbytes, blogs and 'columns', I've found it extremely difficult to find an unbiased opinion on any real product out there. From Computers to kitty litter. Just weird.

Me, I like Apple's products. Are they the best ever? No. Nobody is perfect. Is this year like 2007, with one of the neatest products to come out in the past 10 years? Not really. The iPhone is a very cool phone, but it's not for everyone. There's a lot of negative talk about Apple's financial future, but that's how it always goes for a company that's done really well and can't continually top itself...you know, like every other company out there? Apple can't keep topping itself, but it's going to try until it hits...that's how it works.

(Wow...look at that...did i say anything mean or hateful in there? No, that's the job for people like these guys, who do this to just get hits, attention, and vent at the universe because their moms kicked them out of their basement apartments. See, that was mean. ;) )

I'm one of MANY people who "walk the line" with Apple and other electronics manufacturers. I work with Macs at the office, I own an iPod, but I own a PC laptop and a PC desktop at home. I think that a lot of the pundits really need to understand that not everyone HATES or LOVES what companies do...they'll buy what they want to buy based on what works for them. So if you're going to review a product or comment on a new release, think about how you look to other people online before you post it to your blog/news column.

Lastly, come on...get that iPod nano for your girlfriend for Valentines Day! It's PINK! (Look, I bought the old pink nano for my girlfriend on her birthday last year, and she's been giddy about it ever since...what are you waiting for?? Go do it!)

-Mike Leader
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Listening to: The Doors - The Changeling
via FoxyTunes

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

MACWORLD2008 - STEVE'S KEYNOTE BREAKDOWN (Pt. 4)

Wowsers...lots to write today...I'm really making up for the past 2 months, aren't I? ;)

Ok...the MacBook Air. Damn...just damn.

People have been chattering online for the past year about an ultra portable, tiny, thin, itty-bitty MacBook...and here it is. Weighing in at $1799, but only .76 inches tall, this little guy has everything you need to be on the go. A small 1.6GHz processor and an 80GB drive makes this little guy (that can fit in a large manila envelope!) make it a simple, on-the-go computer that will make sure you stay connected wherever you go.

What? The optical drive? Oh silly me...there isn't one. Yes, that's what I said, no optical drive. Woah...hold on with the questions...look, with the Air being so portable, and tiny, you have to leave out the optical drive. Those buggars take up a lot of space and it wouldn't be very thin if you had it in there, would it? Never fear, the folks at Apple have figured out a solution to no optical drive...and it surprised me, as I never would have thought of it. The Air comes with software that allows you to share another local computer's optical drive. If there's a Wi-Fi network available, you can ask that computer's permission to use it's optical drive and whammo...you're good to go. Pretty freakin' sweet. :)

A couple of other things (and you can see the full specs on the Apple website) to mention would be the 13.3" LED screen, and the built in iSight camera. Those are cool and all, but it's the optional 64GB Solid State Drive option that makes my head spin! Wow...we all knew they were coming, and they're here...just hideously expensive. Totally worth the outlay in cash, even if the prices will change by next year to make them more affordable.

Sorry about that, had to take a break to clean up my drool over the SSD. Ok...So as you can see there's so much to be seen right now. Run to the Apple website and check out all of the new goodies that they're offering...this year looks to be pretty good if you ask me. Like SJ said at the keynote...that's just 2 weeks of this year, we've got 50 more to go!

Forever WOOHOOing,

Mike Leader

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Listening to: Men at Work - Down Under
via FoxyTunes

MACWORLD2008 - STEVE'S KEYNOTE BREAKDOWN (Pt. 3)

We've all talked about it...we've felt it coming...and now it's here...

**drumroll**

That's right kiddies...iTunes Movie Rentals! Doing something that many other companies simply couldn't do, Apple is striking forward with several movie companies (Fox, Warner Bros., Disney, Paramount, and Sony...I don't say the "U" word. ;) )

So, we're being promised over 1000 movies by the end of February, and we'll be seeing new releases about 30 days after DVD sales. (Gosh, aren't we all shocked that the movie companies weedled that in there?) Each file will exist either for 30 days, and once you start viewing it, you have 24 hours until it expires. I'm sure we'll all be waiting for that kind of protection to be cracked wide open...but I'm sure Apple's got their best minds working on that potential issue. Each new release will be $3.99 and every catalog (old movie) will be $2.99...I'm not too keen on older movies being more than $2, but I guess you have to roll with the times.

Following on the heels of the iTunes Movie Rentals announcemnt is the update to the Apple TV. Dubbed Apple TV 2, this new version actually doesn't need a computer to function properly. That's right, I smell a car mod coming up with this one, don't you? So apparently this will allow you to download movies from the iTunes Rental service right to your TV. Can't argue with that too much...but when they start adding HD content...woohoo this will be lots of fun.

Ok...one last entry coming up...the latest in MacBook technology...The MacBook Air!

-Mike Leader


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Listening to: Cream - White Room
via FoxyTunes

MACWORLD2008 - STEVE'S KEYNOTE BREAKDOWN (Pt. 2)

Welcome back!

Ok quick writing break over. I'm trying to avoid reading other sites and their reviews of these things so to better give you my untainted thoughts. Now, on to some new information on the iPhone and what is being updated TODAY!

So, Steve Jobs provided some information on the sales of the iPhone last year. Since it's first date on sale, the iPhone has sold over 4 million units...which is about 20,000 or so a DAY. Market breakdowns for September showed that the iPhone had captured about 19% or so of the cellphone marketplace, which is nothing to sneeze at either. Now, that's just a percentage for September. I'm sure we'd all like to see what they are as of January. I'm not saying they'll be awful, but I think now that everything has mellowed out, that we'll see that number come down to a more realistic level.

On to new stuff! First up, a Software Development kit coming at the end of February. **Watches at people explode with anticipation** I can't wait to see all the goodness this can bring. Everyone's been asking about this since the iPhone's release, and now it'll finally be out there.

The first neat thing for iPhone applications is Maps with location. Now the iPhone doesn't have GPS, so in order to work this out, the folks at Google and Skyhook Wireless got together with Apple and created a network out of the 23 million Wi-Fi hotspots in the US & Canada. Maps will utilize that network of hotspots to triangulate your location with the iPhone. You don't have to be signed onto one of those hotspots either...the programming will detect them and you'll know where you are. Sweet and nice.

Now with updates coming today, you'll also be able to send SMS messages to multiple people at once. Not a high-selling point for me (I can do that on my little LG hunk-o-verizon-junk), but still I'm betting that it's useful for most folks. Webclips looks extremely useful to me (man I need an iPhone, who wants to buy me one?) as someone who reads particular things on webpages and the like. Webclips basically allows you to add a page as an icon to your desktop so you can quickly get to it. It even remembers where you zoom and pan to. That'll be great for people like me who have to check X, Y and Z each morning before doing most anything. This update also allows you to change and customize your iPhone desktop too. Move the icons around and off the screen to your heart's content...kinda like a real desktop. ("Get thee behind me stapler!")

All of the missing content from the iPod Touch (mmm...iPod Touch) that was on the iPhone when it released is now going to be standard on all iPod Touches that are sold as of today. For previous versions you can get the same software for a $20 price. Fair enough, probably should have been free, but I can understand the need for the additional $20. So that means that iPod Touch users will get Mail, Maps, Stocks, Notes and Weather. Very nice. They didn't say that the Touches would get the newer cooler version of maps that has the wi-fi GPS bit...but I'm going to assume that's added in. (Now, to convince Apple that I'd be a hella good product reviewer for them...)

Ok...next up will be some discussion about iTunes!

-Mike Leader

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Listening to: Fleetwood Mac - Miranda
via FoxyTunes

MACWORLD2008 - STEVE'S KEYNOTE BREAKDOWN (Pt. 1)

Wow...what a great Keynote address from Steve Jobs, eh? (I'll add in the link to the video once it's available from Apple.) I just spent the morning bouncing between the folks at MacWorld and The Mac Observer to see their transcripts of the event. There's a lot to discuss, and rather than cherry pick stuff, I'm going to tell you all about it in parts. Here in part 1, we'll talk about some of the first things discussed in the Keynote address.

(For those of you tuning in from my website at Temple of Lore, thanks for joining us! See, I have hobbies that aren't revolved around work...umm much.)

First up would be arguably the best thing I've seen for an external backup drive...well, ever. We've all got a backup drive to make sure that our precious files, pictures, home movies and music aren't lost during a crash...and these all come in various sizes, shapes, and colors. Heck, we carry a lot of them here at YourMacStore, and they're wonderful devices. However, how many come with built in wi-fi? There are a couple, yes, but looking at this one, it's only 200GB. Yup, the Time Capsule, built to help OS X Leopard users better utilize their Time Machine program to back up their computer, actually utilizes an Airport Extreme base built into the external drive case that you can wirelessly link to and backup your files. Very nice! :)

Next up is the iPhone...and see the next blogpost for more information! :)

-Mike Leader

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Listening to: Johnny Cash - Delia's Gone
via FoxyTunes

Friday, January 11, 2008

MACWORLD 2008 - GETTING READY!

Welcome back true believers! We here at YourMacStore have survived the fall months and Christmas sale season to be back here in January with lots of great information for you!

This next week, our owner and CFO will be traveling to Macworld 2008 to stay on top of all that's new and cool in the coming months for Mac users like you and I. According to some of the news bits I've been able to find online, it seems that this year will be about the desktop and laptop mostly. Even with all of the iPhone hype of 2007 and the cool new iPods that came out at the end of 2007, the focus SHOULD be on the Mac desktops and laptops, don't you think?

Ok so some things we KNOW are going to show up there. Microsoft will unveil Office 2008. Wooo, another Microsoft product...I can't...be...more...exci...zzzzzzz. Seriously, there are better products out there for the Mac than MS's Office program. It's a never-have, never-will-be exciting thing for me. Kinda sad when FREE products are better than a $100+ product, eh? Also, with a convention (oooh gamer term) that has over 50,000 attendees this year, they're planning on doing training there for at least 1/10th of those folks...that's a lot of notepads. ;)

Alright...rumors...good lord, y'all love rumors. Ok let's go over some of the common ones:

"Mini-Macbook" - It's known that Apple acquired a bunch of Toshiba 13.5" screens...but what they plan on doing with them is anyone's guess. Most folks tend to think that they'll be producing

"Penryn updates" - This I feel is likely...the Macbooks could use this post haste. :)

"Movie Rentals on iTunes" - I'm still sure that this won't happen til later in the year, but they might just announce it here. Who knows? It'll be interesting for sure if it does happen. Damn...I'm gonna have to give them more $$! ;)

So the plan is for our trusty folks going to Macworld 2008 to give us updates as they get them throughout the day. We'll be posting as much as possible during that time. I'll even post some more thoughts on possibilities on Monday too.

Who else wants to see Apple go all Blu-Ray, just to really upset Microsoft? :D