fscklog

Dell verkauft keinen iPod mehr

"We've stopped selling them permanently," sagte eine Dell Sprecherin. Bereits seit Mitte November ist der iPod dort nach über einem Jahr nun nicht mehr im Online Store zu kaufen.
Apple stört es nicht weiter:

"The iPod is the number one digital music player on the market and is available at thousands of retail locations and online," Apple said in a statement. "As a reseller, Dell accounted for a just a small fraction of iPod sales."

Interessant bleiben die Spekulationen über das 'Warum'. So lässt sich in erster Linie natürlich das direkte Dell DJ Machwerk als Konkurrenzprodukt neben einem iPod wohl nur schlecht verkaufen, zugleich wird gemunkelt, dass man bei Dell als Dauerpreisunterbieter mit Apples Festpreispolitik nicht klargekommen ist:

"There's a reason why you don't generally see stores offer discounts on iPods, Baker said. "Apple is pretty insistent . . . about the pricing."

Vielleicht waren es aber einfach nur Steves Tanz-Witze über Michael Dell, die das Fass zum Überlaufen brachten...

X.3.2 Update-Nachlese

Folgt man MacFixIt scheint es nur eine halbwegs weitverbreitete Problematik beim Update auf 10.3.2 gegeben zu haben, nämlich die Dauerbelüftung der 12" PowerBook Erstgeneration.

Einen 'ugly hack' zur eventuellen Problemlösung verlinkt macnews.net.tc:

"This might be Apple's answer to the heat problem with those models, but you might rather have silence (and more battery power) than cool hands. If so: You'll find a solution here. It's actually replacing two kernel extensions with ones from 10.2.8 (might also get those from 10.3, maybe, which sounds more reasonable to me, but hasn't been tested yet...). Too ugly a solution for you? Send feedback to Apple..."

Es gab dagegen ebenso einige Berichte von 12" PowerBook Besitzern, die sich freuten, nun endlich ihr Laptop auch dem Namen entsprechend einsetzen zu können...

Das angekündigte Security Update steht nach wie vor aus.

30% mehr Besucher auf apple.com seit iTunes für Windows

Apple.com legt laut comScore Media Metrix mit den Besucherzahlen von Oktober auf November 2003 um nette 30% zu und landet so in der Top 50 der meistbesuchten US Netzseiten mit 11,1 Millionen Besuchern im November (unique visitors) auf Platz 44 .

FreitagsMac0rama

Der Guardian glänzt bereits seit einigen Tagen mit herausragender iPod-Berichterstattung und ernennt diesen nun noch zum besten MP3-Player:

"Apple's iPod is the year's best portable music-player because "it leads the field on account of stunning design, simplicity of use, superb performance and overall value for money."
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Bluetooth und zukünftiger iPod könnten was werden:

Infinite Range, a Fremont-based company, has begun marketing circuit boards that iPod accessory maker XtremeMac plans to build into a new product in 2004. The product uses Bluetooth to beam music from Apple's iPod to nearby audio systems without the fuzzy interference that comes with FM tuners.

Zusätzlich vermeldet iPodlounge.com:

"iPodlounge has spoken with a representative from company 'X' about a Bluetooth headphone set being developed and we will be one of the first to beta test the device."
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Die New York Post sorgte letztens erst mit Gerüchten über McDonald's und 1 Milliarde verschenkte iTMS-Songs sowie über Steve Jobs als künftiger Roy Disney für Unterhaltung, nun sucht Apple eine neue Ladenfläche in Manhatten für einen zweiten New Yorker Apple Store:

"Apple Computer is negotiating a 21,000-square- foot lease for the GM Building's underground concourse, for the computer maker's second store in Manhattan.
The store will have a mini-entrance at the edge of Fifth Ave. and then drop into the space that once housed Vidal Sassoon, a travel agency and a handful of other uninspiring renters."
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Trauerspiel Artikel bei Newsfactor.com über die 'versteckten Kosten des Mac-Besitzes', ich verlinke direkt die kommentierte Fassung bei MacDailyNews:

"Microsoft, perhaps unintentionally, created a new cost for the Apple faithful by discontinuing development of the Internet Explorer browser for the Mac. Mac users can use existing versions, but as Internet technology advances, Apple's Safari browser will be compelled to follow IE's lead," Maguire writes.
[MacDailyNews Note: Jimmy, Safari is FREE, so how is that "a new cost for the Apple faithful?"]
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Apples Support Foren sind neu überarbeitet worden:

"Today we released a new version of Apple Discussions featuring a significant update to the user interface and a change to the way posts are rated," said Apple in a note on the site. "As well, users can now qualify for extra new features through the ratings to their posts as well as other factors. Other significant new features: Custom information on the profile page. Users at level 2 and above can post extra information to be shown on their user profile page; Custom user icons. Users at level 3 and above may upload a custom user icon."
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Im Syndey Morning Herald erfreut man sich an Apples Innovationskraft:

"One may justifiably argue that Apple and Steve Jobs, the extraordinary man who leads it, stokes the fires in its belly and generates many of the ideas that drive it, have been the nuclear core of the Silicon Valley powerhouse. No other company has been as clearly innovative as the idiosyncratic crowd at 1 Infinite Loop, Cupertino, and none can boast a cult culture as powerful as that of Mac."
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Bei techlearning.com sahnt das iLife Paket einen der Awards of Excellence 2003 ab:

"In addition to many easy-to-use features that help turn students into multimedia wizards, iLife for the Classroom offers a number of supporting resources for teachers."
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Die Begründung für 55 unterschiedliche Betriebssysteme die auf einem 17" PowerBook laufen:

"I run a large number of operating systems on my PowerBook 17, both because I am fascinated by operating systems and environments, and also because a lot of my professional work is and has been in this area (in other words, I legitimately need to run quite a few of these systems). It is helpful to think of the setup as an "iPod of Operating Systems" - I use a portable external FireWire drive that contains all the systems."

Und die dazugehörige Diskussion bei /. .
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Wal-Mart schmeisst nun seinen Me-too Music Store auf den Markt, 88Cents Stückpreis, "hundreds of thousands" (sprich weniger als die Konkurrenz) an Liedern und laut MacRumors eine Limitierung auf 10 Brennvorgänge pro WMA-Song.
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Wie bereits angekündigt:

“Now for the first time millions of music fans on AOL, who watch their favorite artists perform in an intimate studio setting on [email protected], have the option to purchase the song digitally via iTunes and then download it right to their iPod,” said Evan Harrison, vice president and general manager, AOL Music.
“Apple and AOL are making it easy for AOL’s millions of U.S. subscribers to legally purchase and download music,” said Rob Schoeben, Apple’s vice president of Applications Marketing. “AOL members can now conveniently use their AOL screen names and passwords to log onto the iTunes Music Store and use their AOL Wallet or card-on-file to immediately purchase and download songs."

Weitere Updates: FCP, Live Type, Xcode, DVD Studio Pro

Und noch mehr per Software Update:
Final Cut Pro 4.1.1
Live Type 1.1.1
Xcode 1.1
DVD Studio Pro 2.0.3

Sehr schön aufgelistet mit den wichtigsten Neuheiten bei MacRumors.

iTunes 4.2, QT 6.5, Security Update

Heute nimmt es wirklich kein Ende, jetzt noch zum Download erhältlich:

iTunes 4.2:

"Version 4.2 includes the ability to sign in and buy music from the iTunes Music Store using either an AOL or Apple Account, view the iTunes Music Store in a separate window, and offers a number of performance improvements."

QuickTime 6.5:
Aus der Pressemeldung:

"QuickTime 6.5 delivers extensive support for the 3GPP and 3GPP2 standards, including Advanced Audio Coding (AAC), Adaptive Multi-Rate (AMR) and Qualcomm Code Excited Linear Predictive (QCELP) audio codecs, MPEG-4 and H.263 video codecs, 3G Timed Text, native .3gp and .3g2 file formats as well as support for Movie Fragments, which provide mobile operators and content providers with the advantages of real-time streaming within their existing web infrastructure.
“QuickTime 6, with MPEG video and AAC audio, is by far the most popular version of QuickTime ever distributed, with over 175 million copies downloaded and counting,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “The new QuickTime 6.5 adds enhanced support for 3GPP and 3GPP2 mobile networks bringing state-of-the-art audio and video content to the latest wireless services.”

Update:
CNET über den Stellenwert von QT 6.5:
"Although Microsoft appears to have the momentum for delivering multimedia to the desktop, the battle for the wireless market is still wide open, creating an important opportunity for Apple and RealNetworks."

Und später soll es heute noch ein Security Update geben:

"The representative could not yet comment on the nature of the problem the security update would address."

Confirmed: Steve Jobs hält die MWSF Keynote

Nun ist es endlich offiziell: Steve Jobs hält die Keynote auf der MWSF am 06. Januar 2004, um 18Uhr geht es nach hiesiger Zeit los.

"This is the biggest Macintosh community event of the year and we're looking forward to a great show," said David Korse, president of IDG World Expo.
"We are thrilled that Steve is going to kick off Macworld with a keynote address," he said.
(via Macworld UK)

Nach bester Möglichkeit wird es hier im fscklog ebenfalls Live-Berichterstattung geben (wenn auch leider nicht vor Ort), also ruhig mal vorbeischauen, wenn die großen Newsdienste unter dem Ansturm wie gewohnt zusammenbrechen...

10.3.2 (7D24), Battery Update und Java 3D

Fröhliches Installieren:

The 10.3.2 Update delivers enhanced functionality and improved reliability for Mac OS X v10.3 "Panther" and is recommended for all users.

Key enhancements include:
-improved file sharing and directory services for mixed Mac and PC networks
-more robust printing to PostScript printers
-improved font management
-updated Mail and Address Book applications
-new ATI and NVIDIA graphics drivers
-FileVault, FireWire 800, WebDAV and USB Printing improvements from Update 10.3.1
-previous standalone security updates

Entweder per Software Update oder direkt zum Download.

Die Liste mit den detaillierten Änderungen findet sich ebenfalls in der Knowledge Base.
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Ein 'Battery Update' für folgende i/PowerBooks:

iBook (Dual USB)
iBook (Late 2001)
iBook (Opaque 16 VRAM)
iBook (32 VRAM)
iBook (800 MHZ 32 VRAM)
iBook (900 MHZ 32 VRAM)
iBook G4 (12-inch)
PowerBook G4 (12-inch)
PowerBook G4 (12-inch DVI)
PowerBook G4 (15-inch FW 800)
PowerBook G4 (17-inch)
PowerBook G4 (17-inch 1.33GHz)

The Battery Update enhances the performance of the battery to ensure that full capacity is available for your PowerBook or iBook.

Ebenfalls entweder per Software Update oder direkt.
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Java 3D and Java Advanced Imaging Update

"This update contains support for Java3D and Java Advanced ImagingJava 3D extends the Java platform, providing additional capabilities for running three-dimensional graphics applications and Internet-based 3D applets.

Java Advanced Imaging (JAI) Update extends the Java platform, providing additional capabilities for running image processing applications and imaging applets in Java."
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Für ein optimales Systemupdate sollten vor der Installation Festplatte und Rechte repariert werden und nach dem Update nochmals die Rechte repariert werden. Ein aktuelles Backup schadet grundsätzlich sicher auch nix.

iPod Sex - Apple had no comment.

Der Dauerkonsumentenbeschuss geht weiter, weitab von den üblichen Technologie-Gazetten. So liefert der Guardian gleich selbst eine iPod Presseschau:

Zuerst die aneinander gereihten Superlative:
"It is easy to see why it has become scarce. The sleek, pocket-sized iPod, priced from £250, was ranked No 1 in the 50 best music systems listed in Saturday's Independent ("the top of the heap in terms of style and value"), and was placed first in the Stuff list of its 100 greatest gadgets. "The coolest thing to come out of California since the Beach Boys" was not just the year's must-have, determined the magazine - "heck, it's this decade 's must-have".

Dann der Sarkasmus:
"The iPod's rise appears unstoppable, despite even the attentions of Dominic Mohan. "I'm in love with this machine and I may start sleeping with it," he gushed in GQmagazine."
(Dominic Mohan ist übrigens die englische Version von Katja Kessler)

Zuletzt endlich handfeste 'Kritik':
"But not everyone was won over. "I gather that such a podule can contain as many as 10,000 'songs'," intoned Professor Gideon Garter in the Sunday Times's Intellectual Guide to Fashion column. "Are there 10,000 songs? Why would one want to carry so many? I am afraid the sight of people with personal stereos plugged into their head depresses me terribly. They strike me as individuals who are not sufficiently mentally dextrous to pass occasional silent moments in the contemplation of higher things."

Eine reine Fundgrube für Freunde des Zitats...

Derweil nimmt sich die BBC der iPod Kampagne an, wer bereits den AdAge Artikel gelesen hat, wird darin außer einigen netten Formulierungen allerdings nicht allzu viel Neues entdecken:

"The choice of music is the key. The three biggest-selling, credible genres of the day - hip hop, techno and garage rock are all represented in the television ads.
The tunes chosen are not necessarily the biggest-sellers, but they will be recognisable to the cognoscenti, which is what matters."

Dabei dürfen natürlich auch die obligatorischen Verknappungsberichte nicht fehlen, so bei USAToday.com:

"On Tuesday, Amazon.com (AMZN) was out of stock of the two cheapest models of the popular iPod digital music player, the 10GB and the 20GB. Target.com was out of all three models. Apple had no comment."

Steve Jobs und die unangekündigte Keynote

Kaum wundere ich mich textlich über die noch nicht angekündigte Jobs Keynote auf der MWSF04, schon beruhigt Think Secret:

"Sources inside Apple say Jobs has committed to doing the keynote, but has instructed Apple's public relations department to delay an announcement until he gives his permission.
Sources would not speculate why official word has yet to be made, except for one insider who quipped, "That's Steve. He does what he wants."

Außerdem wird QuickTime 6.5 vorhergesagt, was in den ansonsten momentan doch erheblich spektakuläreren Gerüchten beinahe untergehen dürfte:

"QuickTime 6.5 will extend playback and authoring support for mobile multimedia to two additional formats: 3GPP2 and AMC.
The update will also include enhancements to QuickTime's text track support as well as DV playback.
In addition, sources said Version 6.5 will improve support for other Apple applications, such as Final Cut Pro, iDVD and iMovie."