Here is a nice pointer to an ad of an Apple computer in 1976. At the time, you could buy an Apple microcomputer with 4K of ram memory, expandable to 8K!
Almost twenty before, computers were very different, but the Apple advertisement was already incredible! :-)
As I commented at the beginning of this year, one of the great possibilities for Apple, now that Intel processors are part of Apple computer, is the use of WINE as an emulation technology.
Now, it seems that the prediction is being confirmed. The guys from AppleInsider have some clues leading to the conclusion that “WINE to be released with Mac OS X 10.5″.
This news is just part of what looks very natural for Apple: use the large amount of open source code that has been created for the WINE and integrate it into the Mac OS. They have done this for the Darwin kernel and for the Safari browser, so it is not hard to see this happening again with WINE.
I believe that this will be a great step for Mac OS X, as Apple help customers to make the change to the Mac platform.
Related posts:
2006: the year of Wine on Mac OS X?
The Mac mini was not upgraded during the last Macworld, but is still a nice computer if you want to have a simple mac to access in your office or home.
So, it is nice that COMPUSA is now selling mac minis for a price even better than Apples, $499. According to their web site, you can get a new mac mini for only $398. It looks like a very good deal, considering the official price.
The idea of an iPod phone have for a long time been circulating on the Internet web sites. The basic premise is that it would be easy for Apple to combine the iPod with a cell phone, and that would be a killer gadget.
The rumors are back, now that Apple has registered a couple of trademarks related to the concept “mobile me”. According to ZDNet, one possibility is for Apple to enter with a deal with larger carriers to become a reseller of cellular connectivity. This would be similar to what other companies, such as ESPN, are already doing.
Maybe, now that cellular phones are much easier to offer in agreement with other companies, it may be the right time for Apple to test the concept of an iPod phone. iPod fans would certainly be happy.
An article by The Inquirer talks about the possible increase in the Apple share of PCs during 2006 due to the new Windows Vista.
Although critical to Apple, the article goes on saying that the main advantage of Apple is that they have now hardware that is basically the same of PCs, thus with the possibility of running PC programs with emulation. This will give users a new option between Macs and the new expensive machines that will be required to run Windows Vista. Apple may gain adoption because Windows Vista will also be expensive to upgrade.
In their own words:
A lot of people are going to realize they are going to hang onto their hardware for four to five years, so they might be willing to shell out a little more cash up front and buy the better looking Mac-intelatosh. After all, the two boxes use the same chips, cost about the same, and their operating system looks about the same. And, oh, by the way, the Mac-intelatosh can run Windows software in emulation. Of course, they’ll be gobs of people who are sticking to pure WinTel, including the hardware builders and the extreme gamers, but they’re a small percentage of the vast majority of home buyers.
This is very interesting: during an interview to Newsweek, Steve Jobs predicts that Microsoft will be forced to release its own MP3 player, probably this year. Would that be the nemesis of the iPod — predicted by its own creator?
The problem is, the PC model doesn’t work in the consumer electronics industry, where you’ve got all these companies and some does one thing and another does another thing. It just doesn’t work. What’s going to happen is that Microsoft is going to have to get into the hardware business of making MP3 players. This year. X-player, or whatever.
Link via Newsweek.
See the name Apple in one of the boards of an 1992 Apple Mac. It is written with a letter l in the format of an ichthus, the symbol of christianity.
Link via Command-Tab.
The AppleInsider describes a new trademark application by Apple. The request term “iPod Hi-Fi” suggests that the company is developing some kind of hardware or software to provide Hi-Fi support for the iPod player.
This idea is now new, and several people have commented on rumors that Apple would be creating a wireless version of the iPod. However, if the news is true, this is the first sign that Apple is really creating some kind of remote access device that has iPod-like capabilities.
In a separate news, the AppleInsider speculates about the possible announcement of iPods with larger screens:
Separately, sources said that Apple is developing an iPod model with a higher-resolution display and about an inch of additional viewing area. It’s unclear if, or when, the company intends to release the device, and no further details were provided.
One of the interesting things about owning an Apple computer is that it can become more than a simple new device. Apple, through its design and software, presents a new digital lifestyle, which is very addicting for several people.
The saukvalley.com runs an article about the impact of Apple in the lifestyle of their customers. Some of them, self titled “apple fannatics”, go as far as having Apple tatoos, and “planning their vacations around the MacWorld conference” in San Francisco.
The article describes how the cult of Apple is growing, with the larger number of people have access to Apple gadgets such as the iPod.
Granted, Apple continues to hold a paltry 4 to 6 percent of the personal computer market. But the iPod dominates in the MP3 category, with 83 percent of the market share, Apple CEO Steve Jobs said during his keynote address Tuesday. Apple has sold more than 42 million iPods; last year alone, 32 million flew off store shelves. And in the three most recent months, consumers snatched up 14 million iPods. “That’s over 100 a minute, 24/7,” Jobs said. “It still wasn’t enough.”
