[OSX news] LEOPARD POUNCES ON OCT 26! (for some folks...)

Greetings True Apple Believers!

As I am sure nearly all of you have heard, Apple announced yesterday (October 16) that the newest version of OS X, Leopard, will ship on October 26. I know that many of us are happy about this (we're all ecstatic here at the YMS offices), but some harsh reality will be coming down on some Mac users with the advent of Leopard.

"What do you mean, uncle Mike?" (I'm a real uncle now so I can call myself that!) I mean that there are quite a few Mac users out there who'd probably like to upgrade to Leopard, but they don't meet the requirements for the new system. The new requirements are as follows:

An Intel Mac, Power PC G5 or a Power PC G4 with an 867MHz processor or higher, 512MB RAM and a DVD drive for installation

Now I'm sure that there are plenty of Intel Macs and G5s out there to fully utilize the new OS...but what about those folks who are running G4s? They're going to need to upgrade their processors to get on board with Leopard...and we here at YourMacStore are going to do our best to help y'all who need to upgrade. As soon as our software arrives here at the offices, we're going to be testing configurations on different Mac setups to let you all know exactly what you'll need to best perform with Leopard on your G4. So, stick around and check back with us next week when we'll have more answers for Leopard!

Hasta la Vista!

-Mike Leader

[iPhone] iPhone Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the iPhone Hackers

Ok, so you'd think that we'd all be able to get along, right? I mean, all of the bickering, whining, posturing, and fit-throwing aside, the iPhone is a great little device. It's definitely a gateway product, not only into Apple's fold of products, but a gateway leading into the future of handheld computers.

Granted, consumers should feel entitled to be able to use the items and devices they buy...but when you go out of your way to use them in a way that they weren't intended to, or to violate any use agreement you agreed to when purchasing the product...you the consumer are the only one to blame. Is it fair that Apple had to go with what some would consider a second-rate provider? Is Apple illegally forcing those who purchase the iPhones from them (or AT&T) to only use their programs? I'd say No on both counts.

Apple should have known that out the gate this item would be a hit. However, I think they played very cautious with the iPhone, and shopped it around to get the best deal they could find. In the end you always get what you pay for...they wanted a cheaper contract that made them more money in the long run...so they got that...at the expense of their customers. Apple IS a business however, and it's point is to make money...and they looked at their bottom line and likely said, "Well in 5 years we'll have enough people hooked that when we open it up to other networks, we'll do even better." (Wait...forward planning? Say it ain't so, superman!)

As for the legality of the anti-trust lawsuit currently being issued against them...I can't roll my eyes enough. It's bad enough that our over-litigious society will sue over every little thing...but honestly (and I'm no law expert) this doesn't come across as them forcing anyone to use their software...yet. The item was just released, and when it was released they were telling everyone that they had no plans at the moment for third-party applications on the iPhone because of security issues. They were more concerned about the device being secured than multi-functional to start. Now with talk about them opening things up to their software developers, we'll see how far these lawsuits go. I don't think it'll be further than the distance of the whines of those instigated it could be heard.

Honestly, I'd like to wait until after the release of Leopard at the end of this month to see how things progress. Maybe if people learned to be patient than reactive, this would would be a better place. Hrmph...world is full of flamers, Apple's & Microsoft's fans all need to take a chill pill, don't you think? (I recommend that you take a read of the Macalope's blog. Almost always funny, always informative.)

[YMS News] YOURMACSTORE.COM LOWERS SHIPPING COSTS!

Greetings!

We're happy to say that starting on Wednesday October 17, we here at YourMacStore will be removing the flat handling fee we've been charging for some time now. Due to some great pricing we have been offered on our shipping materials, we are happy to remove that $1.99 fee starting on that date.

If there are any questions, please feel free to contact us via our Contact Page over on our website. :)

[Product Information] TRAFFIC JAM??

We’ve had a couple of customers have some issues with the NewerTechnology Trafficjamz FM transmitter/car charger lately, and it dawned on me that I should post a notice here on our blog about it.

Apparently the plug-end for the card adapter has a screw-on cap that holds the replaceable fuse inside. This screw is made of plastic, and plastic screws can never hold something tight for very long. So, the ends of this item eventually will unscrew themselves off. If this happens, and you’re not paying attention to it, the top will come right off, and the fuse will fall out. Without these items, the product ceases to work, and all of a sudden, you’re out $30!

So, please take my advice if you own one of these Trafficjamz transmitters…check the screwcap on the end after each use. If it’s loose, just tighten it manually a little bit. Save yourself money by not having to replace something that could have been prevented.

-Mike Leader

SUMMER LOVIN'

I guess it can be said that it’s been an interesting year for Apple so far…but really, they completely owned the media this whole summer. My hat is off to their marketing team who really has had a sense of who they’re marketing to, and how to get the message out about their products to those who aren’t already buying them. Now, they’re not perfect (am I the only one who finds the new iMac commercial annoying?) in a lot of ways…nobody can reasonably expect them to be that way. However, I don't think a night of television goes by without seeing an iPhone or an iPod ad pop up in a random slot…and that’s always great to see.

So, the Summer of Apple it was. The iPhone announcement gripped not only the Apple fanatics, but managed to reach out into the average joe’s consciousness and bring more people on board. Is it a perfect piece of technology? No. Is it going to be amazingly better in the next 2-3 years? You betcha. The technology that spawned the iPhone has already crossed over into the iPod Touch, and will likely be driving things forward over the course of the next year.

I say that we all can’t wait for October and the launch of Leopard! I can also say that Apple can’t wait for the Holiday sales to roll in…and roll they shall.