MacNewsBlog

I work as a Mac Tech at a local school for my real job. It's always fun to hear the stories from folks who switched from Windows over to Mac. Often, I will ask the recent Macintosh convert why they switched. The responses I get aren't always what I was expecting though.

A recent switcher told me that the best part of switching, and one of the main reasons for her to switch to Mac was service. If her computer ever broke down or if she had any problems, she felt good that she could simply make an appointment to see an Apple Genius and bring the Mac in for a check up. She couldn't do this with her HP laptop. Her biggest frustration with HP: "It always crashed and when I called for tech support, they were always talking about things that were over my head. With the Mac, there is a live human person right in front of me that can help me understand the problem and fix it for me too!"

That is a great selling point for the Mac! Having many Apple Store locations is going to be a huge plus for Apple.

For a limited time, just in time for the holidays, the folks at DivX are giving away serial numbers for DiVX Pro. What's the catch? You just have to give them your email address. Go check it out and get your DivX Pro serial number.

Hokey Smokes Bullwinkle! An Apple Support Document released today actually tells you how to create custom ringtones using GarageBand 4.1.1!

From the document:
To create a custom ringtone:

1. Set up a cycle region that covers the area you wish to use in the GarageBand song. Note: This area must be 40 seconds or less in length.
2. Once the cycle area has been set, choose Share > Send Ringtone to iTunes.

So, it's official! Apple supports user created ringtones and not only ringtones sold on iTunes. This is great news!

Amazon.com has a special on the Apple Mac Book 2.2 GHz, 1Gig RAM, 120Gig HD, 8x Superdrive for $1219 after $75 rebate. This is the lowest price we've seen yet for this particular model so act now!

Amazon also has the iPod Touch 16gig for $368.99! That's a really good deal too!

And while you're there, pick up some gift cards for some music: iTunes $25 gift card

Mac rumor and gossip site ThinkSecret.com will close down due to a settlement made with Apple, Inc.

December 20, 2007 - PRESS RELEASE: Apple and Think Secret have settled their lawsuit, reaching an agreement that results in a positive solution for both sides. As part of the confidential settlement, no sources were revealed and Think Secret will no longer be published. Nick Ciarelli, Think Secret's publisher, said "I'm pleased to have reached this amicable settlement, and will now be able to move forward with my college studies and broader journalistic pursuits."

Farewell rumor site, farewell.

For those wondering, there are other cool site that report Apple rumors out there. AppleInsider and MacRumors come to mind. Oh and this site too when we stumble on stuff. Heh.

Looks like Warner Music Group (WMG) has allowed Amazon.com's AmazonMP3 store to start selling music without Digital Rights Management (DRM), which allows buyers to copy music without limit, and play them on any device they want as long as it can play straight mp3's.

The coup brings Amazon's mp3 music library up to 2.9 million songs according to electronista.

From a quick look, it seems like they have quite a few Warner material for sale already. Looking up the group "Van Halen" has only produced 3 albums from the actual band, not their entire catalog.

"Consumers want flexibility with respect to what they can do with music once they purchase it, and we want them to have that flexibility," said WMG's Senior VP of Digital Strategy, Michael Nash. "We believe that giving consumers the assurance that the music they purchase can be played on any device they own will only encourage more sales of music."

If this is true, why not do it across the board with all their music? We're waiting for all the music companies to wake up and just get rid of the DRM. Not only is it the right thing to do, but its the smart thing to do. Give the customer what they want and they're more likely to BUY music and not steal it.

Wall Street Journal columnist Walt Mossberg has just completed his review of the new Dell XPS One and he seems to think it could be a threat to Apple's iMac. Did Mossberg drink too much egg nog this past Christmas or does a Dell really hold a candle to our beloved iMac?

The XPS One is Dell's answer to the iMac. A sleek, all in one LCD Monitor with CPU stuffed into the back. Critically I would say it was a smart move since Dell isn't able to license Mac OS X. If you can't beat um, join um, or do something similar!

Aside from calling the XPS One "an elegant, handsome, cleverly designed one-piece computer", Mossberg points to some of the features of the XPS One that are non-existent on the iMac: built-in card readers for camera memory cards, wireless mouse and keyboard packaged with the unit, Power off for the monitor only so you don't have to shut down the entire CPU, and side access for headphones and USB jacks. Granted, Apple does sell a bluetooth mouse and sleek keyboard but it's not bundled with the iMac.

Before you think Mossberg has drank the Dell/Microsoft kool-aid, he does give the final hand and recommendation to the iMac stating the superior Mac OS X operating system that is less vulnerable to malicious software and the fact that the iMac is actually cheaper than the XPS One.

"defying popular perception, the iMac costs less than the XPS One. The base, 20-inch iMac costs $1,199 — about $300 less. And even if you double the memory, and add a wireless keyboard and mouse to match the Dell, it’s still $1,399 — $100 less than the base XPS One (though Dell is currently running a sale that wipes out the $100 gap). Even the cheapest iMac has a dedicated video card with its own memory, something the base XPS One lacks."

via All Things Digital.

As an early owner of the Apple Extended Keyboard - Aluminum Version, I've become accustomed to the feel of the laptop-style keypads, lower incline, and shape. My biggest downside has been the short cord which I was not able to pull far forward. See - as a digital artist, the economy of space on my desktop is important. My desk not only holds my computer, a 24-inch iMac - it also holds a couple external HDD, a wireless mouse, a 6x9 Wacom Intuos tablet, and a large 20-inch Wacom Cintiq 20WSX. I am an avid user of Photoshop CS3 and accessibility to my keyboard is a must. Arranging my desktop a couple times to accommodate the short cord, I finally started using a USB extension cord.

A few days later on Christmas day, imagine my surprise when we opened a box containing the Apple Wireless Keyboard - Bluetooth edition from a few good friends!

Upon opening the box, I immediately noticed the difference in size. The original Apple Extended Keyboard is longer, complete with a full keypad and text editing keys (insert, delete, etc). Side by side, you can see the difference in length. The wireless keyboard is quite basic. It has the complete QWERTY keypad with number and function keys. The arrow/directional keys are placed on the lower right hand side.

When placing the keyboard over my original keyboard, you can see the difference in length. As there are no USB connectors at the base of the wireless keyboard, it instead uses the battery chamber to act as the keyboard's incline.

The keyboard comes complete with a pack of 3 AA batteries wrapped in plastic for immediate use. There is a nodule on the left-side of the keyboard which by using a coin, you turn and pop out the battery chamber cap. There is a nice weight to the cap - it's easy to push in and won't likely fall our or pop off.

Inserting the batteries are simple - there is a diagram right near the mouth of the chamber for reference.

Pairing the keyboard to the computer is very simple - just turn on the keyboard BEFORE your computer boots and input the key code when it pops up on screen. Run the Software Update from the Apple icon and everything should be in working order.

After using this keyboard for a little under a week, I find it's a great addition to my desktop. It frees up a little more desk space and without the cords - nothing gets tangled up. Additionally, I have that extra USB port available for other devices I may need. The keys feel just like the Apple Extended Keyboard - laptop-like and requires very little pressure to press down.

For basic navigation, this keyboard handles all my computer's functions with the F-keys. Sound levels can be adjusted, widgets can be accessed, the screen can be dimmed and brightened with the press of a key. Despite it's compact shape, the keys are still in the same locations and don't feel cramped.

However in Photoshop, I find that I occasionally press the wrong hot-keys when switching from one tool to the next as the placement of the keys on the lowest bar of the keyboard are a little different from standard board. (4 on the left side, 2 on the right.) The problems are minor are probably won't affect most users.

For the average user, this is a great keyboard. Small, sleek, compact, stylish - functionality is at the all within reach. I personally enjoy the wireless capabilities and compact size of this keyboard. Aside from the missing number pad and editing keys, it manages to fit all the functions I need in 3/4s the size comfortably.

Most of the wi-fi networks out there are the "G" type of protocol. For the most part these networks are very fast, however there is a relatively new specification called "N." One of the reasons Wireless "N" routers haven't quite yet reached the same type of acceptance as the "g" routers is because the specification hasn't reached the final format.

In it's final release sometime expected in 2009, "N" networks are expected to reach a typical rate of 74 Mbit/s and possibly go up to 248 Mbit/s with a range of up to 70 meters.

Nonetheless, even though "N" is still considered a "draft" format, a few manufacturers have already started selling routers with the "N" specification.

One particular router which caught my interest was Apple's Airport Extreme (APE). It has all of the typical elegance and ease-of-use you'd expect from a classic Apple product.

Beginning with the physical dimensions, the unit itself is very small (6" X 6" X 1.25") and has a solid feel to it. In the front, it has a solitary led which can either turn green for "ready/on" or orange for "configuration." On the rear side, the ports from left to right are:

- power
- usb (for hooking up an external drive OR a printer)
- ethernet port (for internet connection)
- 3 more ethernet ports (for computers/devices w/o wi-fi)
- recessed reset button
- security slot

As far as the configuration, unlike other routers, the APE is not configured via browser but rather by software that you install on your computer. Personally, I feel that this approach is better in the sense that Apple can provide a better end-user experience with installed software as opposed to being constrained by a slow, tedious web server on the router. I have used routers from Hawking, NetGear and Belkin and have not yet seen an interface which beats the Apple solution. Another reason the software is a better solution is that I feel that it is actually a better security model. As far as I know, without the software, the APE cannot be configured. Yes, those other routers have passwords, but in my opinion, I feel this solution is somewhat more secure.

While on the subject of router configuration, I feel that the APE is one of the most configurable router there is on the market. Like I mentioned earlier, I have experience with a number of routers and none of them have the ease-of-use I had with the APE. Depending on the network administrator's technical skill, the APE could be setup automatically or manually. The automatic configuration was sort of a wizard-like interface while the manual configuration was more flexible and powerful at the same time.

All in all, the APE has performed well for our network and surpassed my expectations. If you are looking for the latest and greatest tech, this router may be the one for you.

Pros
- Wireless "N" specification
- Easy to configure using Apple provided software (Mac or PC)
- Nice design
- Works with external usb drive or printer
- Gigabit Ethernet ports

Cons
- Wireless "N" specification not final yet
- No wall mounting or standing brackets
- Expensive at approx. $180