MacWorld: Mac Mini - iShuffle

[FG Lurker]

iPod iMplant Changes the Way You Think About Music
BBspot, January 17, 2005

At the annual MacWorld expo Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the new iPod iMplant that he said "would be Apple's most successful product ever."

The new digital music player about the size of a grape and implanted in to the user's skull features a new Think Wheel (tm) interface and is the smallest music player on the market.

iPod iMplant"We have changed the way people will think of music. From now on they can think about what they want to hear and the iMplant will play it." Jobs said. The new music player comes in only one model and features no built in memory. Instead, it will use portions of the user's brain for storage space. Depending on education and prior drug use users can expect anywhere from 5,000-25,000 songs. Also, the iMplant can purge unused portions of the user's memory for added storage space.

[...]

(Full Story)

[Captain Japan]

Anyone want to take a guess as to when OS X Tiger will be coming out?

[GuyJean]

Anyone want to take a guess as to when OS X Tiger will be coming out?

Um, not knowing anything about the schedule, I'll guess November..

GJ

[Charles]

Anyone want to take a guess as to when OS X Tiger will be coming out?

Well, MacOS X 10.3.8 was released a few hours ago, Tiger shouldn't be long. I keep hearing that Tiger is almost finished and will ship in 2Q around the time of the WWDC, but so far I haven't been able to find the exact date of WWDC. A new OS launch is just the sort of thing WWDC is made for.

BTW, my buddy in Tokyo just got his Mac Mini, the faster model with an upgrade to 512Mb RAM. I told him the new Migration Assistant would transfer all his software easily, and boy was I wrong, his old B&W G3/350 is so old, it doesn't support FireWire Target Disk Mode, which is the one requirement for using the migration gadget.
So we worked around it, he put the Mini into Target Disk mode, attached it to the G3, and used Carbon Copy Cloner to put all his G3's system and data onto a disk image on the Mini. Then we rebooted the Mini, set it up on his cable modem, and I used Remote Access to run his machine, and migrated all his prefs, mail, etc manually. I wished he had an iSight so I could see the look on his face while I did my Unix geekery to his machine.
Anyway, he is pleased as all hell with his Mini. He says it's faster than his 3Ghz Celeron PC at work.

[Captain Japan]

BTW, my buddy in Tokyo just got his Mac Mini, the faster model with an upgrade to 512Mb RAM. I told him the new Migration Assistant would transfer all his software easily, and boy was I wrong, his old B&W G3/350 is so old, it doesn't support FireWire Target Disk Mode, which is the one requirement for using the migration gadget.

Thanks for the input. I'm thinking about doing this. But once I get a monitor (only have an iBook now) and the upgrades the cost won't be much less than an iMAC G5. Still thinking...

[American Oyaji]

I'll be getting my MacMini at the end of next month hopefully.

[GuyJean]

BTW, my buddy in Tokyo just got his Mac Mini, the faster model with an upgrade to 512Mb RAM. I told him the new Migration Assistant would transfer all his software easily, and boy was I wrong, his old B&W G3/350 is so old, it doesn't support FireWire Target Disk Mode, which is the one requirement for using the migration gadget.

Good to know..

Anyway, he is pleased as all hell with his Mini. He says it's faster than his 3Ghz Celeron PC at work.

Here that Captain? When's the big purchase?

GJ

[Charles]

BTW, my buddy in Tokyo just got his Mac Mini, the faster model with an upgrade to 512Mb RAM. I told him the new Migration Assistant would transfer all his software easily, and boy was I wrong, his old B&W G3/350 is so old, it doesn't support FireWire Target Disk Mode, which is the one requirement for using the migration gadget.

Thanks for the input. I'm thinking about doing this. But once I get a monitor (only have an iBook now) and the upgrades the cost won't be much less than an iMAC G5. Still thinking...

AFAIK, the Blue & White G3 series is the last machine made without FireWire Target Disk mode. Anything newer will work, but it wouldn't hurt to check the Apple Support database to doublecheck your model. I don't know if the original iBook "clamshell" models have Target Disk mode, but if you're using one of THOSE iBooks, oh man, you really REALLY need an upgrade.

Anyway, when considering the iMac G5, consider that a good monitor usually lasts longer than a CPU. I've been using the same Sony 20in CRT for 10+ years, through 3 PowerMacs (8100/110, G3/400, Dual-1Ghz G4) and it's still going strong. So buying an iMac G5 might not be the best long-term value, might be better to buy a good separate LCD and a low-end single-1.8Ghz PowerMac G5. It might cost a bit more, but your LCD investment would hold up longer, rather than getting replaced when you upgrade CPUs. Of course this all depends on how long you keep your Mac, which is hard to tell. People tend to hold on to Macs longer, their useful life is far longer than equivalent PCs.

[cstaylor]

Anyone want to take a guess as to when OS X Tiger will be coming out?

Um, not knowing anything about the schedule, I'll guess November..

I'll take that bet and wager it will be summer time at the latest.

[GuyJean]

I'll take that bet and wager it will be summer time at the latest.

Well, I'm not going to take that bet, because I hope you're right!

GJ

[GuyJean]

Anyone want to take a guess as to when OS X Tiger will be coming out?

Final Cut Pro 5 to debut at NAB
http://www.thinksecret.com/news/0502fcp5.html

Apple is working hard on Final Cut Pro 5 and will use the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) conference in mid-April to debut the software, Think Secret has learned.

Reliable sources report that Final Cut Pro 5 will require Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger and will take advantage of the new Core Video technology, which functions as a bridge between QuickTime and a supported video card to deliver hardware-accelerated video processing. All real-time filters are being moved to Core Video support to deliver increased performance, for example, and Core Video should enable new real-time filters to be delivered, such as real-time HD color correction on moving footage.

Final Cut Pro 5 is also being built completely around the QuickTime 7 architecture. Final Cut Pro 5's dependence on Tiger means the software likely will not ship for up to two months after its introduction. There is always a small chance Tiger will be introduced alongside Final Cut Pro 5, as well.

Sounds like Tiger might prowling around July or August..

GJ

[cstaylor]

Sounds like Tiger might prowling around July or August..

Told you so.

[cstaylor]

BTW: Tiger is awesome. Excellent features, and response time is even better than 10.3 (which was pretty damn good).

[Charles]

The WorldWide Developer Conference was just officially announced as starting June 6. Keynote speech is usually the second day of WWDC. So look for announcements of the release of Tiger and FCP7 on June 7. I also expect a major revision to Motion, since it is dependent on Core Image technology that will not be fully enabled without Tiger (and an expensive video card, for that matter).

[cstaylor]

The WorldWide Developer Conference was just officially announced as starting June 6. Keynote speech is usually the second day of WWDC. So look for announcements of the release of Tiger and FCP7 on June 7. I also expect a major revision to Motion, since it is dependent on Core Image technology that will not be fully enabled without Tiger (and an expensive video card, for that matter).

I think Mr. Sparkles would be the best source of information for that, but I agree that new versions of most of the Apple software will be released about the same time as Tiger... that's how they push third-party developers to embrace new stuff (and Tiger has a LOT of new stuff under the hood)

[Charles]

I think Mr. Sparkles would be the best source of information for that, but I agree that new versions of most of the Apple software will be released about the same time as Tiger... that's how they push third-party developers to embrace new stuff (and Tiger has a LOT of new stuff under the hood)

Well actually Mr. Sparkle is the LAST person you'll get any info out of, since he's now an Apple employee and can't leak anything.
But basically we know from some previews what's dependent on Tiger, since Apple's been demoing Core Image for the last couple of shows. The FCP7 rumors are new though.

[cstaylor]

Isn't the computer industry great? I'm looking forward to purchasing a G5 tower this year...

[GuyJean]

The FCP7 rumors are new though.

Uhh, I'm no lurker, but it's FCP 5, QT 7..

GJ

[cstaylor]

But basically we know from some previews what's dependent on Tiger, since Apple's been demoing Core Image for the last couple of shows. The FCP7 rumors are new though.

Wait, I just caught this... don't you mean FCP5?

[FG Lurker]

The FCP7 rumors are new though.

Uhh, I'm no lurker, but it's FCP 5, QT 7.. ]

[Charles]

[quote="GuyJean"]Uhh, I'm no lurker, but it's FCP 5, QT 7.. ]
Of course you're right, I was thinking QT7 when I was writing FCP. I'm pretty excited about QT7 because I run a streaming server and the new H.264 codecs should be a big improvement.

[mr. sparkle]

I think Mr. Sparkles would be the best source of information for that, but I agree that new versions of most of the Apple software will be released about the same time as Tiger... that's how they push third-party developers to embrace new stuff (and Tiger has a LOT of new stuff under the hood)

Well actually Mr. Sparkle is the LAST person you'll get any info out of, since he's now an Apple employee and can't leak anything.

As Rob Pongi says, "Exac-Ree".


I know Nothing....

I'm not exactly an employee--just a freelancer on an extended contract (though I am angling for something after NAB--I scour the HR site weekly). Just the same, we freelancers are under NDA as well and can get the pants sued off of us if corporate secrets are compromised. They sent me to a class and well-prepared us for keeping a lid on it.

I hope Security tracks down the source.


BTW, I saw the ol' boy at the salad bar the other day. He's lookin' good after that bout with the big "C".

I have not worked for anyone but myself for many, many years. Yet, I am SO down with Apple. It really is cool doing work for them. My co-workers totally rock at what they do. You can see why they are kickin' bootie. I hope they continue to do so.

Plus, beer bashes on Fridays.

Ya gotta love these guys!

Maybe they can find a full-time job for ol' Sparkle? Ne? Maybe even---Apple Japan! Nooooooooooooooo......-------

[mr. sparkle]

AFAIK, the Blue & White G3 series is the last machine made without FireWire Target Disk mode. Anything newer will work, but it wouldn't hurt to check the Apple Support database to doublecheck your model. I don't know if the original iBook "clamshell" models have Target Disk mode, but if you're using one of THOSE iBooks, oh man, you really REALLY need an upgrade.

I still use my BW G3 400. My TiBook 800 will go into Target Disk Mode and show up on the G3, but nowadays I mainly use Ethernet as I have AirPort Extreme setup in my apt. Huge files now go via sneakernet via my 40GB 2.5" pocket FireWire drive.

The G3's SCSI drives are noisy but it works as a separate FCP 3 workstation that works flawlessly and no dropped frames. It also holds all my iTunes.

My TiBook 800 is now updated with a 100GB HD (Seagate Momentus) and 1 GB of RAM. So I am a happy camper.

I don't need a Mini, but they are cool. I really need a G5 tower in the crib. My TiBook is cool, but I'd like more horsepower for certain tasks.

[Charles]

Maybe they can find a full-time job for ol' Sparkle? Ne? Maybe even---Apple Japan! Nooooooooooooooo......-------

You know about the job listings on the Apple Japan site, right?
Someday I'll have to tell you my old war story from the days of Kanjitalk 6, when I tried to start the first US Apple Japanese Specialist dealership within a major chain of stores, and got totally shot down. Even worse, Apple gave my elaborate business plan to our competitor and gave them the green light.

I still use my BW G3 400. My TiBook 800 will go into Target Disk Mode and show up on the G3, but nowadays I mainly use Ethernet as I have AirPort Extreme setup in my apt. Huge files now go via sneakernet via my 40GB 2.5" pocket FireWire drive.

The G3's SCSI drives are noisy but it works as a separate FCP 3 workstation that works flawlessly and no dropped frames. It also holds all my iTunes.

Ah, I see you have the G3/400 U2W machine, like I do. If it wasn't for the U2W SCSI drives, this machine wouldn't be worth turning on. But the high speed SCSI drives keep my machine competitive even today. I use mine for my web/QTSS server. I wouldn't dare leave a machine on with "Never Sleep" with IDE or other lower quality drives, the SCSI drives seem bulletproof and have an insanely high MTBF. It is a noisy beast, but I put it behind my huge oak desk and it seems to absorb most of the sound. But it's hard to tell just how noisy it is, when my "Windtunnel" machine is running.

[GuyJean]

Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger to arrive in April
http://www.thinksecret.com/news/0503tiger.html

The event, sources say, is currently scheduled for Friday, April 1 and will be delivered via satellite to numerous locations around the world. Unknown at this point is where the event will take place and whether the media or other outsiders will be invited to attend. Well placed sources say Tiger will likely be in stores by April 15.

April Fool's Day?.. Hhhhhmmm.. The same birthday as FG!

GJ

[tonikoro]

[GuyJean]

It will be interesting to see if that rumor holds true for April 1st,...

Well you can pre-order it

from Amazon for 95 bucks, with $35 rebate.

GJ

[FG Lurker]

Shuffle Craze Hits Other Tech Gadgets
bbspot.com, May 2, 2005

Cupertino , CA - Other corporations are following Apple's lead by offering shuffle-based technology products.

First to the market was the Nokia Shuffle, a cell phone that can have phone numbers programmed into it, but no way to select which number you call at a given time.

"I can't think of a better way for people to work on their impromptu speaking skills than to have their cell phone randomly call their mother, ex-girlfriend, or the local Hungry Howies," said Nokia representative Rob Walker. [...]

[...]

Following Nokia into the fray was Microsoft. Windows Shuffle is an OS that randomly chooses a program for the user to work with, providing no function to let the user toggle between programs.

Microsoft CEO Bill Gates said, "(Apple CEO) Steve Jobs showed the world that people don't give a rat's ass what you're selling as long as it looks nice. That's why our Windows Shuffle comes in a shiny blue box with MSN butterflies on it."

(Full Story)

I do love my iPod though.

[FG Lurker]

Sirius Satellite Radio, Apple in Talks over iPod
Linux Insider, May 26, 2005

Sirius Satellite Radio Chief Executive Mel Karmazin told shareholders yesterday the company has talked with Apple Computer (Nasdaq: AAPL) Latest News about Apple about a Sirius-enabled iPod, but that no deal has been struck.

Karmazin, responding to questions during the annual Sirius shareholders' meeting in New York, said the company has "had discussions with everyone," including makers of cell phones, digital music players and other devices. He said that he had had dinner Monday night with Apple CEO Steve Jobs and other digital entertainment-related executives at the Wall Street Journal D: Conference outside San Diego, Calif. He did not elaborate on the topics discussed with Jobs.

"Will there be MP3 players that include satellite radio? Sure. The technology's easy," he said. The issue, he explained, is whether a combination MP3-like device that plays satellite radio would hurt Sirius's business and just how they would split the profit from equipment and monthly subscription with someone like Apple.

(Full Story)

Is satellite radio available in Japan yet? I've not seen it advertised, but I suppose it could be. If the price was right and the selection good enough I'd be interested.

[FG Lurker]

Apple to start Japan iTunes service in August
Reuters, June 6, 2005

Apple Computer Inc. will launch its iTunes online music service in Japan in August, the Nihon Keizai business daily reported on Tuesday.

Major Japanese record companies, including Columbia Music Entertainment Inc., Avex Group Holdings Inc. and Toshiba-EMI Ltd., have agreed to provide songs for the service, the paper said.

But Sony Corp.'s Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc. has yet to agree on contract terms with Apple, it said. The price for downloading a song in Japan is expected to be set at around 150 yen ($1.40).

(Full Story)