Apple seeds Mac OS X 10.4.3 8F20 97 MB sized, the combo updater has a few known issues (Finder crashing at Get Info, Calculator.app issues and Stickies widget crashes), so development continues - as anticipated. A LOT of issues have been solved by now, though. Our guess is that 10.4.3 will become a very stable version of Tiger - so let's give Apple some time, shall we. :) - posted by Patrick Armbruster @ 01:12 [article link]  1 comments

Paul Thurrott compares Tiger to Windows Vista Beta 1 ... which is quite obviously not a really good comparison, since Microsoft is far from being done with Vista, which will be released at the very end of 2006, at a time, when Leopard will be released (Mac OS X 10.5) - of which we basically know nothing other than that it will be released then and that it'll support both PowerPC and intel based Macs.
Paul Thurrott doesn't seem to want to let go of his idea that Tiger has copied some features from Microsoft's plans for Vista, but he defends himself a little bit. Maybe in his next big review, he'll finally agree that Spotlight has been released and was planned ever since Copland (1995), whereas WinFS was "announced" in 2003 but will not ship until sometime in 2007 - and that claiming it was somehow Microsoft's idea and Apple was "copying early" does sound a bit strange for someone who was there when Apple first announced plans for this type of desktop search.
Either way: You can read Thurrott's comparison if you want to. ;) - posted by Patrick Armbruster @ 20:16 [article link]  0 comments

Opera gives away free licenses Doesn't make the browser much better, but it's always good to have a few extra licenses at hand. ;) to the party... (They're 10 years old now.) - posted by Patrick Armbruster @ 17:34 [article link]  0 comments

Safari 1.3.1 for Panther Also in Software Update: A 3.8 MB sized update for Panther's Safari to version 1.3.1. - posted by Patrick Armbruster @ 00:54 [article link]  0 comments

Safari 2.0.1 released Software Update gives you a 4.2 MB sized Safari update for Tiger. The ReadMe talks about overall application stability as well as improved support for third party stuff. - posted by Patrick Armbruster @ 23:31 [article link]  0 comments

FileMaker 8 FileMaker Inc. has introduced FileMaker Pro 8 and FileMaker Pro 8 Advanced - as well as FileMaker Mobile 8, FileMaker Server 8 and Server 8 Advanced - today. There's a lot of PDF things going on and other news for the database package. Best read it yourself. :) - posted by Patrick Armbruster @ 23:25 [article link]  0 comments

Apple music event on 2005-09-07 Press invitations say: "1000 songs in your pocket changed everything. Here we go again." - Clearly, this brings back the memory of iPod's introduction in 2001.
The date has previously been rumoured for the event at which Motorola and Apple finally bring out the Motorola E790 and/or the ROKR iTunes phone(s).
If it's only this, that surely wouldn't let the event live up to expectations created by the invitation text, since basically, mobile phones had music support for years now. - posted by Patrick Armbruster @ 20:34 [article link]  0 comments

Windows apps on intel Macs Darwine has been adapted to Mac OS X on intel Macs. Although still flakey, support for Windows applications is coming to intel Macs well before the release of intel Macs. We've been talking about another solution (CrossOver) before. - posted by Patrick Armbruster @ 14:35 [article link]  0 comments

Apple looking for a handwriting engineer... Inkwell, which brought the Newton's HR to Mac OS X, is not exactly a prominent feature nowadays - unless you have a tablet attached to your Mac and actually use it. But the fact that Apple keeps developing it and is looking for new engineers spurs rumours about a forthcoming Apple tablet computer. - posted by Patrick Armbruster @ 13:46 [article link]  0 comments

Apple seeds Mac OS X 10.4.3 8F15 Client As expected, Apple has now seeded a new client build of 10.4.3 to ADC members. The build has a couple of known issues about iDisk synching as well as a Finder-crashing bug (Get-info on non-English systems may crash the Finder). The combo updater has grown significantly in size in the past few weeks and is now 93 MB (updates from 10.4.2 will be smaller if you go through Software Update). The update is expected to go through a couple more builds before being released next month. - posted by Patrick Armbruster @ 20:13 [article link]  0 comments

FCC approval notes for the "iTunes phone" Motorola's forthcoming iTunes mobile phone, the E790, is shown here, along with some information regarding the functionality of iTunes on the phone. Seems like synching the phone is a "job done by hand", i.e. iTunes doesn't do things like autofill for the mobile phone... - posted by Patrick Armbruster @ 09:10 [article link]  0 comments

intel's Roadmap etc. Today, intel's developer forum IDF starts, and as usual, intel informs about their processor plans, as well as a heap of other stuff such as Wimax. Technologies that, since WWDC, suddenly are of much more interest to Mac followers.
But even with more information about Yonah (dual core 32bit notebook processor that might end up in PowerBooks as well as iMacs etc.) and quite a few other processor families, we just can't, at this time, say what processors will be used in the first intel Macs and which Mac families will come to the market first. We are currently expecting the Mac mini as well as the iBook to go intel first mid-2006 (not earlier, of course), the professional lines will probably start to move to intel with the PowerBook near the end of 2006.
Until then, we're of course still getting new PowerPC based Macs, the first of which might be announced as early as AppleExpo Paris next month. - posted by Patrick Armbruster @ 14:00 [article link]  0 comments

iPod mini (flash) 4GB soon? According to various sources (including someone close to Samsung), the purported 2GB version of the iPod mini, which would use flash-memory, is actually going to be a 4GB version. So the iPod mini 4GB will "merely" go from harddrive to flash memory. The change is suspected to be announced at AppleExpo Paris, maybe together with a 2GB version. - posted by Patrick Armbruster @ 14:23 [article link]  0 comments

Mac OS X Server 10.4.3 8F15 seeded Apple continues the development for the third update to Tiger and seeds a first build of the Server version to ADC members. The notes accompanying the seed talk about several changes in core server technologies (Apache 2, mail server etc.) as well as related client changes (AFP, file system, directory services, NFS, portable home directory). A newer seed of the client version of 10.4.3 is expected these days, the release of the update to everyone is expected in September. - posted by Patrick Armbruster @ 13:49 [article link]  0 comments

Apple patches late. Very late. TheRegister runs a story about Apple's latest security update, and that it patches a vulnerabililty that was known for almost 8 months. Yes, that's more than 200 days, in which attackers had the possibility to attack Mac OS X systems. The main problem is that Mac OS X contains much open source code. Well, that's also an advantage, of course, if handled correctly. Anyone can basically patch flaws in open source software. But if Apple takes months rather than weeks or days to fix vulnerabilities, that certainly doesn't make for a good feeling of security.
Currently, we still can feel safe. Because the platform just doesn't get the attention Windows systems are getting. But Apple probably should re-think their strategy here. Rather sooner than later, I hope, Apple will start to work on this front, too. Better safe than sorry. - posted by Patrick Armbruster @ 12:42 [article link]  0 comments

Security Update updated Apple had to take Security Update 2005-007 1.0 back, and has by now replaced it with version 1.1. The earlier version only had a 32bit version of an important library on board, which created havoc for G5 owners and certain 64bit software making use of the library. For example, Mathematica stopped working altogether. No problems with the new version, though. - posted by Patrick Armbruster @ 11:59 [article link]  0 comments

Toast 7 coming soon... ThinkSecret has an article and screenshot gallery about Toast 7b14. The application will give users a couple of new features, including direct support for DivX. For example, you can throw a DivX movie at Toast 7 and let it create a DVD for you. The software will also include support for encoding HD DivX movies. - posted by Patrick Armbruster @ 01:03 [article link]  0 comments

Security Update 2005-007 Apple has released a 17.5 MB sized security update. For a security update, it's rather large. On a related note, Apple has yet to seed another build of 10.4.3. Insider sources expect a new build for ADC Select and Premier members later this week. - posted by Patrick Armbruster @ 00:58 [article link]  0 comments

Someone expects Google and iTMS to go together Apple's share price went through the roof last Friday, when rumours were making the round that somehow Google and iTMS would "go together", some US media report. While I don't really know what that should mean, how it would look, what its use would be etc., I can understand that such rumours always make people jumpy and quick with the money. ;)
Ah, now I woke up. It'd just mean Google would include iTMS? How? In search results? "Google is going to offer iTunes somehow on their platform," according to the rumor. Doesn't make it much clearer. Either way: Apple's stock went up almost 5 percent, so that's good if you have any. - posted by Patrick Armbruster @ 11:11 [article link]  0 comments

New PowerBooks expected? AppleInsider expects (maybe) new PowerBooks at AppleExpo Paris in September. While we can't confirm the release date, Apple's been testing the MPC7448 based PowerBooks for a while - but the chips from FreeScale simply weren't available in volume so far. Our source expects the PowerBooks to run at up to 1.8 GHz, which would be a nice boost for the line. Lower-end models would use a 1.6 GHz part. - posted by Patrick Armbruster @ 14:58 [article link]  0 comments

So, what now, Steve? Let's jump into the future for a moment. The year is 2007, the month is February. Apple is happily selling intel and PowerPC hardware, Mac OS X 10.5 has just been released (the box contains two DVDs, one for intel Macs, one for PPC, or maybe it's a hybrid that does boot both type of machines) and warez traderz have built a valid ISO that actually boots on plain vanilla PCs, installs Leopard and comes with third party, hacked together drivers for a couple of motherboards and graphics cards. Some sound cards don't work, but who cares.
Once the average PC user out there only needs to know where and how to get the right DVD image and how to burn it in linux or Windows, Apple's got a real problem. Sure, Software Update will become more 'intelligent' and won't allow installation of system updates etc. on these hacked together OS X systems, but the underground will simply take the updates and hack those, so the hacked-together OS X machines will get their updates maybe a week or two later. "No big", as Kim Possible would say.
So, what then, Steve? Will Apple have to continuously fight the underground, resulting in wasted work-hours that result in just yet-another-successfully-hacked-version-of-OSX? Microsoft has shown that whatever they do, the underground circumvents. Windows XP Pro? You can take the installed Windows XP Home on your computer and run a few patches and it's a Pro version. Or you just get an illegal copy of Windows XP Corporate, which doesn't need activation. (And surely enough, people are sharing that version, not the one that needs activation...)

I guess Apple's solution is rather simple: They'll change how OS X checks whether it's running on the right hardware from time to time, so the casual user has a rather hard time getting it to run and keeping it up-to-date, resulting in the casual user actually buying a Mac mini or an iBook. They'll tolerate (although not publicly, of course) the underground and lure them into buying Macs the next time they're buying computers. After all, installed user-base is also an important number. And it's better to have people want to use OS X on their PCs than just being ignored. - posted by Patrick Armbruster @ 14:49 [article link]  0 comments

PB G4/1.67 Graphics Update 1.0 Apple has posted this 2.1 MB sized update through Software Update for users of 15" and 17" PowerBooks running at 1.67 GHz. The update should give stability improvements and is recommended for all users of those PowerBooks. - posted by Patrick Armbruster @ 02:38 [article link]  0 comments

Crossover Plugin etc. and intel Macs MacBidouille notes that CodeWeavers have support for Mac OS X on intel on their new roadmap. We've reported this a while ago in June, but it's still good to see that CodeWeavers means what they're saying. CrossOver will enable Mac users on intel Macs to 'just run' (some) Windows applications. You can read about CodeWeavers' roadmap here. - posted by Patrick Armbruster @ 21:34 [article link]  0 comments

Booting OS X on an intel notebook video The video (still hard to get on MacBidouille's site directly) can now be downloaded via BitTorrent. It's about 11 MB in size. OS X seems to default to 1024*768 pixels stretched onto a widescreen display. Things like that probably won't happen with the final version of OS X for intel Macs and compatible hardware. - posted by Patrick Armbruster @ 14:34 [article link]  0 comments

Mac OS X running on "any" PC. Well, not any PC, really, but more than just Apple's transition kits. MacBidouille has the info in french, along with two movie files showing the PC booting quickly into Mac OS X. (The video files are currently not available, it seems. Probably, the servers are under heavy load...)
According to the article, the DRM module's protection can be avoided quite simply (using a patch). So, for those who're willing to illegally download a copy of Mac OS X for intel Macs and are willing to illegally circumvent the installation protection doing some handiwork, it's possible. At least if you're running a recent intel board with the right graphics chip and a P4 that supports SSE3. - posted by Patrick Armbruster @ 22:36 [article link]  0 comments

BBEdit 8.2.3: Universal Binary BareBones has released an update to its main product. BBEdit now runs natively on intel Macs, well before the release of the first intel Mac, which will happen in June 2006. Developers with access to the transition kits can, of course, already make use of the software.
Of note: BareBones says that switching to the newest version of Xcode and producing the universal binary results in an app that doesn't run on any version of Mac OS earlier than 10.3.9. - posted by Patrick Armbruster @ 20:19 [article link]  0 comments

MSN Messenger 5.0 for the Mac Microsoft should make the new version of MSN Messenger available in the coming hours. You'll find it on Microsoft's Mac pages.
Update: It's now been released. - posted by Patrick Armbruster @ 01:36 [article link]  0 comments

iTMS Japan sells 1 million songs in 4 days. As much as the next 'big' competitor does in a month. Sure, the novelty might wear off, but in Japan, iTMS is "cheap" - songs cost almost double at competitors' online music stores. Apple sure hopes that this success also helps selling more iPods. - posted by Patrick Armbruster @ 10:17 [article link]  0 comments

What a week... Okay. So I'm away for a week, and not only does Apple ship the iBook G4 with faster chips than the press release said (1.33 and 1.42 instead of 1.2 and 1.33 GHz), but also hell freezes over? Or almost? Okay, so "Mighty Mouse" doesn't really have more than one button, but it certainly feels like Apple's finally made their move on this front. This week off feels so weird, that I leave for the weekend early. Oh, just this: Apple's started seeding builds of Mac OS X 10.4.3 now. The combo updater will be about 78 MB in size, according to sources, and the first build seen in the wild (8F8) corrects quite a few issues (again). We'll report more early next week. - posted by Patrick Armbruster @ 16:38 [article link]  0 comments